Demons of Metropolis
by Encyclopika
Summary: AU - In the city of Metropolis, a great hatred is shared between Angel and Demon. Though, in the midsts of this, a love blossoms. Contestshipping
1. Prologue

Yes, this is the original story Demons of Metropolis by me, Encyclopika. You can find the original posting on .

_Demons of Metropolis Prologue_

_The city of Metropolis; the last, large city in a darkening world, slowly rotting to the ground underneath it. It is here that the great power known as Underworld is locked away by a fragile spell. _

_The city is of Gothic origin – stone buildings, gray in their crumbling concrete with gargoyle ornaments at the lavish corners by day, set in stone. But these gargoyles are not always present. With their wide wings or fearsome fangs, they prowl street corners and garbage ridden allies for a crimson drink from an oblivious mortal making his way home. Mermaids swim and play at the rocky shore where from there, large Zaratans, once called Wailord but now drastically changed from contamination, can be seen spouting water hundreds of feet into the air far off shore. Aristocratic vampires linger in their dark tenements at the city's limits while necromancers use their zombie armies to terrify the mortals and steal precious jewels from the fairies. As frightening or as wonderful as this scene might be, these creatures of this dark city are but the tip of the iceberg when describing Metropolis' citizens and past. _

_To start, the citizens of Metropolis are classed into one of three stereotypes – The Darks, The Lights, and The Mortals. Of course, in any changing world full of slang, The Darks are usually called "darkies", and The Lights have been reduced to "lighties". Segregation couldn't be thicker. "Darkies" are usually the ones that fall into the undead or evil persons of Halloween children's books while "lighties" can be differentiated as the light or cute heroes of fairytales. The Mortals are, to put it blunt, regular humans who are more or less ignorant to the class system. They simply go about their lives, watching werewolves cross the street thinking they're lost puppies. They're even more so ignorant to the brooding families. _

_The ruling clans of this city on the brink of its grave are in constant battle, but for now, silent in the ongoing clash. On the east side, across the small, chemical concentrated river that snakes its way through the city to the open ocean docks, reside the Angels in their wealthy estates, set forth by the clergy family - the mortals they work with at the tall tower church off main street. But the mortal clergy is, like any group of mortals, oblivious to the white, feathered wings of the Angels, for good reason. The Angels pray to their God and obey their laws of life that, as they think, have been concentrated into a single book, the Bible, or as "darkies" like to say, the "how to be a good Angel for DUMMIES" book. Pure and obeying, the Angels are the quintessence of perfection, living at peace with the other "lighties" – mermaids, fairies, and good, little elves, like those that work for Mr. Claus himself._

_But Angels, like all living things, are not without their qualms, and those qualms lie with Demons, those fallen angels with large, black, skin wings, like those of bats, and what appears to be no morals. They used to rule the night in their strength of the most powerful and darkest gremlins to set foot upon Metropolis' cracked sidewalks. All other vampires and gargoyles would hide in their dumpsters and ally ways, should there be a Demon on his prowl. But not anymore. _

_In a brutal clash of black and white, the demons were crushed under the force of light by Sunilluma, the Angel's mighty demon killing dagger. And although they had Sindarkka, the Angel killing dagger by their side, they still fell in the debacle of either clan's history. Defeated and weak, they were banished from the city limits to the barren sand tundra, Outskirt. There they were believed to have died out, since not one Demon had been seen again afterward…at least not by Angelic eyes. _

_On the other side of that winding river, all the way to the dead empty warehouses by the docks where large, but now lost, cargo ships would tow in their load now reside three Demons, left behind after their clan's defeat just to antagonize the "lighties". They linger on with their secluded lives in warehouse six and have been doing very well. But as fate would have it, things were about to change._

_The demons left behind the three strongest, most able, hybrid combinations there. The first and oldest to take care of the two younger is a man of pyroism. With the snap of his fingers, a spark flies and a flare is born. It's quite a pity, though - his short wings don't allow him to take flight, much less sneak behind the eye of a watchful Angel. He spends his time in his room dreaming of the boy and finding the girl a nuisance._

_The second, though not any older than the boy, is a girl with short wings as well, but she has a talent where wings aren't needed. With the flick of her wrist her fingers elongate to about ten feet if she wanted, though she's not sure if she could go longer. She's a confused adolescent with problems that she tries to cover up with a toothy grin. It's a pity, though, she was meant to carry on the genes of herself and one of the males, but alas, she only likes what she has. _

_And the last, the boy, a vampiric demon – a powerful, dark creature whose life is alive yet dead, giving him the immortality of a wandering spirit. With fangs that could deal vampiric longevity or poisonous afterlife with their simple length; the demons had their hopes high for this one. But it's a pity…_

_Underworld will be reopened soon due to selfishness…when hate is spawned from love. The Angels figured that could never happen, and so the spell is lost in the endless scrolls of the library on twenty-fourth. All they are concerned about now is who will take the position of highest priest. A young girl? No. But perhaps her husband, that is, if she doesn't get caught up in her curiosity of the darker half, or the young shadow that leads her to the world's truths. _

_They will start the wave, unintentionally, this opposites pair, angel and demon. From the depths of the past, from a never ending feud, they find a way to mix his shadows and her glow. It will be difficult. With such a silent war, ready to explode under the tiniest hint of romance between them, it is important to keep the extinction of the demons as true as can be lied. Secrets are difficult to keep, and soon their suspicious behavior will spark another great battle between angel and demon, light and dark, pure and impure…all to reveal who the real demons of Metropolis are._


	2. Chapter 1

-Chapter 1-

Brocks voice had driven itself right into a ditch almost immediately and it wasn't long until May's head was resting on her folded arms over her wooden desk. She had tried to keep herself awake by rocking the metal frame of the seat back and forth, but it was no use. Brock, on the other hand, had gotten very wrapped up in his lesson and barely noticed that the milk chocolate haired girl had nodded off.

Lust…freezing…shivers…

May could still hear his deep baritone, as he was bound to the roll away chalkboard in front of him. She could sense the silent scrapes of the chalk on the hard surface, creating a picture only his squinted eyes would see.

Wrath…anger…unstoppable…

And then his voice was lost in the endless caverns of her adolescent mind. As his drone faded, pictures of far off fairytale lands flashed before her. She dreamt of herself flying over the great city of Atlantis, in all its pearly cleanliness and high waterfalls sparkling in a distant morning sun.

…May…

With Metropolis so far behind her, less than a speck in the distance, all the stench of city life perished to unleash the scent of freedom. She could go anywhere on those white, feathered wings of hers. They held her in mid air as if she were as light as a cloud, floating above all the troubles and tribulations of ground life.

…May…

The wind whispered through her brunette hair and all was silent. Atlantis disappeared before her and was replaced with a sky view of classic Rome. It was still. Perhaps a fight amongst gladiators was in progress? The picture soon disappeared into blackness once again but instead of being replaced by another utopia, the iron bars of reality came crashing down as Brock's voice came back into stereo, "May! Wake up!"

"Ah!" the young angel sprung upright into a normal, ninety degree angle.

She wiped the bit of drool from her cheek and arm away, and straightened her deep blue skirt that barely made her knees. She fixed the ruffled collar of her white blouse which was decorated with a neck area that matched the blue hue of her skirt. She clasped her thin hands in front of her on the wooden desk and smiled up at him as if she had been awake the entire time. Sleep still hung heavily on her eyelids, but she tried her best to cover it up by opening her sapphire eyes wider than normal.

"I'm listening!" she tried, but it was no use.

One couldn't miss the fact that Brock was annoyed – his once soft eyes were now stern and his short wings were arched in an agitated way. His arms were folded having his hands lost in the white lab coat he wore. There was silence for the longest minute. Aside from May and her tutor, Brock, the room was vacant of life, and the eerie feeling that haunted it was accompanied by plain, white walls, a high roof, and windows so high up only a giant could see through them. Lining those white walls were various counters, sinks, and a few posters of scientific tables and such – it was usually used as a science room after all. It was only now at the school day's end that Brock tutored May at the one subject she loathed.

Brock squeezed the bridge of his nose, "May, I can't help you if you nod off all the time."

"I'm sorry," May said, "I just…don't have any interest."

Brock looked up at her, dumbfounded, "That's strange, I thought most Angelic kids loved learning about this stuff. Guess I was wrong. Looks like I have my work cut out for me…"

"No, it's not that! You're right…all my friends love learning about it," May said, and then shifted her gaze to the desk surface in front of her, "You really are a good teacher, I just don't get why we have to learn about Demons if they don't exist anymore."

"I understand," Brock said with a short smile, "But it's still in the curriculum and you, especially, along with your brother, have to know it. Quite ironic."

"Yeah, quite," May snapped bitterly, "It's because we're the children of the Angelic high priest. I get why Max has to learn this, but why do I? If anything, only my husband will really have to know."

"Well, they haven't been gone that long," Brock told her.

May retorted, "They've been gone just about twenty years! That's pretty long."

"Well, not to those who actually saw it happen, like your father," Brock countered calmly, "In any case, it's not only important, but a new, piece of history."

May got up from her corner desk, walked up to the green colored chalkboard and folded her arms.

"And the story is interesting…and I don't need to learn that, I practically know it by heart!" May told him sharply, "The Demons wanted to rule the city of Metropolis in their greed for power and they figured they could win with the power of Sindarkka, the Angel-slaying dagger of darkness. In the midst of battle, we, the Angels, seized this dagger and crushed the Demons in all their pride. When the battle was over and the Demons were defeated, my father, as high priest, banished them to Outskirt where they all, presumably, perished. I know, I few details here and there, but that's it. That's the story."

Brock was amazed. She had told the tale as if it were nothing exciting or outstanding; just your "run off the mill" fairytale. May stood across from him looking down at the floor with a pout on her face.

"Sounds like you know a lot. Maybe you're falling asleep because what I'm teaching you is old news?" Brock tried.

He didn't want to believe he was wasting his time. May had to pass the class and he was trusted by her father that he could pull her through. He unraveled his arms from their lock and presented a stick of white chalk to May.

"How about you teach me? Show me what you know on this board here," Brock said, pointing to the chalkboard.

May sighed knowing it wouldn't work out. She wasn't interested and she knew that was the root of her nodding off. She didn't know a thing about Demons and planned to keep it that way.

As she silently groaned to herself, she slid the white chalk across the board. She was drawing something. She started with a round head, and then created a thin body below that head, followed by a long, whip-like tail that ended in a devilish point. From the body sprung four limbs, all alike in length and structure – bony limbs they were, with four digits tipped with long claws. She then extended two bat-like wings from the monster's back, added slits in the face for eyes and a mouth full of sharp, gnarled teeth.

"A Demon," May said in a way in which seemed she were presenting the picture of a mass serial killer to a class-sized group of rookie police officers.

Brock nodded in approval of the drawing, although it looked as though a four year could do better, "Good. And what can you tell me about Demonic biology?"

May froze in place. This was where she would nod off and fly to Atlantis or Rome or…just anywhere far away from Metropolis. May looked away, unable to honestly look in his face and tell him that that was the subject that caused her brain to go on vacation. She searched her mind for something to put on the chalkboard. The light bulb sparked on, thankfully, and she turned to the board once again and began to scribble, this time, words.

LUST

GLUTTONY

GREED

ENVY

PRIDE

SLOTH

WRATH

"The Seven Deadly Sins?" Brock asked, "What about them?"

"Uh, well, it's a curse!" May spurted, "That Demons have."

"Yes, and tell me, what does Lust do to a Demon's body?" Brock asked, knowingly.

May sighed; she had given up. She placed the chalk on the holder that hung underneath the board and sank her head as low as it could go.

"I'm sorry," May said sincerely, "I just have no interest. Really. I don't know anything."

Brock had folded his arms again, "So what do you have interest in?"

He wasn't snappish nor was he annoyed, just curious. With that question May's wings lifted themselves from the floor excitedly as she perked up. That was what she really wanted to get into.

"I'm interested in anything that has to do with travel," May said and then began to list her favorite classes, "Social Studies, Culture, Latin, Singing class, and Earth Science."

"Well, that's a nice spread. What things interest you the most, though?" Brock gave her a warm smile as she was now very indulged in the conversation.

"I like learning about Atlantis and Roman culture. I like all that stuff," May told him.

She just didn't want to look too ignorant. It was only one class she appeared to be completely slow in, and that was Demonology. Although, she barely got through her Pokemon Biology final, but a "D" was still passing, so her parents had let it go with groans. This was the second time now she was taking Demonology – she had completely failed every aspect of it last year, but this year had some hope, though still not enough to pass. It was just an endless journey for nothing, it seemed.

"Rome and Atlantis? But those cities don't exist, especially that last one," Brock said, "Why interest in them?"

"Alright, look," May tried to make it simple, "I don't even like learning about Angelic Biology. Why should I learn about the circulatory system of a creature that doesn't have a heartbeat?"

"To put it plain and simple, it'll be on the final and if you want to pass, you'll need to learn all of it," Brock said.

It was a long day and neither side was ready to have a calm discussion with stubbornness. Luckily, for the two Angels, the school bell sounded in a frantic chime. Within seconds, the halls outside the large classroom were flooded with creatures of the Light.

"Well, that was the bell. I guess I'll see ya on Monday, right?" Brock asked grimly.

"Yeah," May said obliviously cheerful.

As she walked to the doorway, which was dwarfed by the large wall it had nestled itself into, an Angel poked his head through the opening. He had a head of messy black hair where from the midst of the disaster area poked two, big dark eyes.

"Hey, May! You done or are you staying after?" he asked.

"Hi, Ash. No, I have to see my dad," May answered.

The Angel that stood before her nodded with a friendly smile. He was outdoorsy-looking with his thin structure, and was easily a good three inches taller than May, although she considered herself short. He wore a white, long sleeved shirt whose rims were lined by periwinkle designs. His dress pants matched that hue of blue and his shoes were as white as the walls of the classroom, as were his large wings, which were known to extend an eight foot wingspan, but for now, they were folded neatly behind him. A Pikachu leaned on his left shoulder, like an accessory, and both this boy and his yellow rodent featured the same silver chain and navy pendent around their necks.

"Alright, then," Ash said nicely and then he turned to Brock who was collecting some books in a brown laptop bag, in concern, "What's up, Brock?"

"Nothin'…at all," Brock answered grimly from behind the desk, "May, you better get moving. You know your father is strict with time."

"Yeah, you're right," May said frantically as she zoomed for the door.

Ash followed her out in a jog. They sped through the dark wood walled hallways where the only light came from the classroom doors that had been swung open in the joy of the nearing weekend. Ash hurried to catch up to the little Angel.

"Hey, May! After your talk with your dad, you wanna get a bite to eat with me and Tyson?" Ash called after her.

He had stopped his jog, but she hadn't slowed down.

"Can't make any promises, Ash, he's probably gonna ground me!" May shouted, breathless, "And I have to beg for him to at least let me make it to Misty's party!"

With that last word, she rounded a corner and disappeared. Ash stood alone in the eerie, empty hallway with his arms folded behind his head. Pikachu had jumped from his shoulder to the dark, petroleum floor.

"Ground her?" Ash mumbled to himself, "I wonder what for?"

…

May had walked from the school building all the way to the large church on Sun Dried Street. Despite it being smack in the middle of Metropolis, the church sat on a plot of grassy land where a few oak trees shot up from the ground in their green splendor. It was a church, but it was dark and Gothic, like the rest of the city. Four tall, pointed towers reached up to the overcast sky and the entire building was coated in knots of metal making it look like a large metallic Spinarak web had been draped over its rusted walls. From the midst of that web a great, black faced clock told the time of a later date, broken and never fixed.

May didn't walk up to the front doors instead she went for the back door on the other side. She slid it open, causing a nauseating metal sound as the bottom of the old door scraped against the steel, hall floor. Once inside, she shut the back door and continued on through darkness. Though it was pitch black, she could sense the walls by running her wings against them. Her velvety, white feathers would surely get dirty this way, but they were easy to clean, thank God. There was an opening at the end of the long, tunnel, where the light from the main room where the religious mortals would pray to God and sit quietly as her father would read from the Bible and such, penetrated the darkness.

As she neared it, she could hear two men talking, and she recognized them as her father and another church helper, though she couldn't distinguish exactly who it was. She barely went to church after all – there was no need, she was an Angel, she had been told.

She poked her head out from the long, dark hallway and peeked at them talking. It looked like a friendly conversation, but she couldn't understand it for it was all in Italian. Her wings ruffled against the stone wall and startled the man talking to her father, who had his back to May. As he whipped around to spot her, May hid behind the hallway wall – he had almost caught a glimpse of her wings.

"Come about, child, we are all friends here," the man had gone back to English.

May sighed and quickly materialized her wings into her back to hide them. She then emerged with a smile and her hands behind her back.

"That's my daughter, John," Norman, her father, said to the old man he had just been speaking to.

The man was indeed old and wore a lavish, long robe of white and red. Her father, who also had his wings hidden like May, also wore a long robe, except his was all white.

"Nice to meet you," May said with a nervous smile.

The old man nodded and then turned to Norman.

An Italian "thank you" was all she could make out and then he left out the front doors. When the coast was clear, both May and her father opened their wings. It was difficult and painful to hide them, but it had to be done. If the mortals knew for sure that Angels really existed on Earth, they'd be all over them asking for messages from God, and that would cause problems.

They stood in a large room on the stage where behind Norman stood a podium where he would read from the Bible and other holy texts to the mortals who visited on Sunday. The roof was high and decorated with stained glass windows of all colors and pictures. The inside walls were just as dark and eerie as the outside, with dark black and brown mixed with knotted metal and silver. Wooden benches lined the floor before the stage in rows.

Norman shuffled some papers into a folder and then stood up straight to look at his daughter. He gave her a warm smile, one she wished he hadn't given because she would soon have to betray it.

"So, how was school?" Norman asked his daughter with that unknowing smile.

May frowned and looked down at the dark floor, "Not so good, you're probably gonna ground me."

Norman folded his arms, "You fell asleep during Brock's tutoring hour again, didn't you?"

May nodded without a sound and Norman cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"I sense that there's something else," he said, not happy anymore.

May sighed again and then went rummaging through her knapsack. When she was finished, she emerged with a small packet of paper and held it out for him to take. He did so, but didn't look at it.

"Oh, is this that Deadly Sins test you took today in Demonology?" Norman asked, concerned.

May sighed, "Yeah…"

Norman looked down and a grim face crawled up from the depths of his well being, "An "F"? May!"

May nodded, still not making eye contact.

"Well, you were right, you're grounded for the entire weekend and you apply yourself!" Norman was enraged, but he kept his anger under control.

"Oh! C'mon, Dad!" May pleaded, "Can I at least make it to Misty's party! Please? We've known about that for months!"

Norman managed a nod.

"I'm only saying yes now because it would anger Triton very much if you canceled now, but besides that, no where else unless your mother sends you somewhere. Grounded is grounded! Understand?" Norman said sternly.

"Yes, Dad, I understand," May said sadly.

"Well, I don't understand," Norman said, his anger leaving him, "How come you can't get this?"

He had thrown the paper to the metal desk beside him and folded his arms.

May sighed and said, "They don't even exist. What's so interesting about Demons anyway?"

…

Not too far away from the church in an area called the Horizon Line, which separated the lightie and darkie territories of Metropolis, a dark figure somersaulted over low roofs. With the flick of her wrist, her fingers elongated and acted as poles she leaned on them and launched herself high into the air. Her body was that of a model's figure, though, covered up to the neck in a skin tight, black jump suit with twisting and cut designs of red. From the middle and either side of her hour glass shape extended two, red strings that ended in rings and they bobbed along as she glided on short black wings and sprung like predator on prey to the nearest roof. Her short, lavender hair rustled against her forehead, but her large, blue eyes followed the pursuit below.

On the sidewalk below ran a young mortal woman with red, curly hair. She was whimpering in fright, but the Demon on her tail only giggled in excitement.

"C'mon, baby, don't be afraid. I'm the least of your problems," the female Demon egged on.

As the woman neared an ally way, the Demon smiled. From beside a wall in the ally, something grabbed the young mortal and hid her away from the lavender haired gremlin. He covered her mouth so she wouldn't scream and held her body close to his so she wouldn't be seen. The two watched as the Demon seemed to lose tract of her prey as she landed on the sidewalk, and then extended her fingers once again to somersault in a search for her. When she was gone, the man loosened his grip and the young woman turned around to face him.

He was much taller than her and wore a long, black trench coat with an silver, oval, pendant like zipper dangling to one side. Underneath this coat he wore more black. His face was young but not cheerful in youth. Long, green hair extended over his face and bright emerald eyes surrounded by an abnormal darkness stared down at her.

"Thank you for saving me," the woman said graciously.

The young man smiled at the woman in an evil smirk, revealing two long canines, "She was the least of your problems."

The woman gasped, but that was all she had time for. The Demon lunged at her and tackled her down to the ground behind a dumpster where he sank his pointed daggers into the flesh of her neck. She struggled under his weight, but it was no use and screamed at first, but her voice was lost soon after the first drainage of blood and was dead soon after that.

The Demon from before landed on the dumpster beside them and watched the easy murder. She giggled a little. Hunting mortals was just too much fun, although she had no use for it.

"You gonna finish this one this time, Drew?" the girl asked, sitting in a dog-like position with her knees folded yet raised up to her chin, her hands supporting her in the front and her bottom not touching the cold metal of the garbage disposal unit.

Drew didn't pay any attention to her as he sucked out his fill. Even though he was a predator, he didn't like the fact that his health depended on the mortal population number, and that number was dwindling everyday. Thankfully he wasn't a full vampire, and only had to go on these hunts once a month or so, depending on the catch.

"She's small enough. Would you answer me?" the female Demon snapped.

Drew lifted his head for breath, "Can't you see I'm busy, Kelly?" and then he dove back for more.

Kelly rolled her blue pools and checked behind them. If anyone was there, they'd be in deep trouble. Not even other darkies could know they still existed right under the noses of the Angels, who had been so kind as to put a bounty on any general Demon's head.

"Did you bring that knife like I told you to bring?" Drew asked as he whipped the blood off the corner of his mouth.

"Why would I do that when I have ten on me?" Kelly asked as she elongated a hand full of long fingers, "They're just as good. And why? You didn't finish, did you?"

Kelly looked down at the carcass Drew was lifting himself off of. The young mortal's eyes were glazed and her body looked sagged, after all, it had been drained of blood, and her face was pale like that of a ghost. Kelly shook her head, having the short purple locks tremble and slowly bent an extended finger near the neck of the corpse. Drew turned away as Kelly made a clean, quick cut across the throat, decapitating the body.

This was quite necessary, for if blood was left in a victim they would become what bit them. Killing the victims for good would stop the vampire population from growing, not to mention it was the Metropolis Vampiric law. The mortal numbers were dwindling, and if any more vampires than those brought into the world by begetting were introduced, the population would starve or start preying on species that packed more of a punch. It was just too much of a hassle to even think of, and so the Vampiric society of the city issued the Decapitation Act, stating that all victims of vampires be killed immediately. That was years ago, but it was in affect even more now than it had ever been. Kelly wiped the cool blood off her finger.

"I have to admit, this is quite disgusting. Why can't you just finish them?" Kelly asked, annoyed.

"I can only drink my fill," Drew told her as he turned back, "C'mon, we gotta finish the job."

"Why?" Kelly asked, "No one's gonna know. The police will think it was an average rape. It's not like any other vampire gets rid of the evidence."

"For your information, there are Angels on the force, and what if they were to recognize the bite mark? A Demon's bite is bigger than a vampire's bite but smaller than a werewolf's bite. They'd know something was up," Drew told her, "Nevertheless, I know you know Harley told us to get rid of them, or is your memory that short?"

"Fine, fine, but we've already buried one over here," Kelly told him dismissing the argument she lost every time.

"Then make a hole somewhere else…do I really have to think for you?" Drew asked, folding his arms with a smug look.

They always had conversations full of insult and sarcasm, like any pair of siblings, of course, they weren't siblings.

"Hey! I'm not the one who needed this…girl's blood!" Kelly shouted, becoming annoyed.

Drew rolled his eyes, "But you are the one who begs to tag along every time. You have to do something."

"Yeah! Because I don't wanna hang out with Harley all day! I know that's fun for you, but he treats me like…junk!" Kelly raised her voice again, compared to Drew's calm, low tones.

"Well, if you weren't such a nuisance…as Harley says," Drew trailed.

Kelly blew up, "A nuisance! All I do is ask to be fed at least once a day! Ya know, if I could get a job, I'd get one and move the hell out, but alas, I can't because of those stupid Angels!"

Kelly hoped off the dumpster angrily, extended her fingers again, and began to dig a hole next to the body and its head. She was a fast digger, and as dirt went flying everywhere, the conversation continued.

"You have a point," Drew said calmly as he bent down to the side of the forming pit, "Sometimes I wish I could move out too."

Kelly stopped digging and poked her head out from the hole with a pained look plastered on her face.

"Why? He treats you like gold…" Kelly said, "If I were you, I'd stay for the rest of my life."

"With a curfew at nineteen years of age still?" Drew asked, his eyes narrowed, "I'm not ready to have that at forty. No way."

"If you live that long. I'm surprised you haven't caught anything yet," Kelly mumbled, "Is this deep enough?"

"Immunity and full immortality. End," Drew told her as he leaned in to check her work, "Yeah, that's deep enough."

"You and your immortality," Kelly said giggling as she hopped out of the hole as agilely as when she jumped over the low roofs.

The two went straight to work as they moved on either side of the small corpse and hoisted it into the pit. It landed on the soft earth with a light "clunk" as maroon colored liquid spurted from the stump between the shoulders. Kelly then picked up the head by the hair and, disgusted, threw it in with the body. It too leaked some blood that was turning black as they stared down at it in disgust. It was something that one couldn't help watch in its stillness, yet it wasn't something to look at, at the same time. It wasn't as if this pair hadn't seen this sort of thing before, however, for their innocence had been stolen away so many years ago. They started to kick the dirt that had been shoveled out back in, burying the body and the sin they had committed. When all the dirt was back in the hole, it was obvious someone had been digging there, but the two didn't care.

Kelly extended her fingers, hoisting herself up to the nearby roof and disappeared over the corner where a gargoyle sat in his stone waiting for the moon to peak over the horizon. Drew went to follow her as he arched his body forward to expand his black, bat-like wings from his back, for they had been folded during the hunt. They were the one thing that could give his disguise as a vampire away as a Demon. The wings materialized from his back, slowly in their stiffness and the time lapse aided by their great length – a twelve foot wingspan if nothing else. He used them to lift himself onto the roof where Kelly had disappeared to.

He found her on the next roof over, sitting on the cement high above the city life, enjoying the view of another garbage ridden alley, a sidewalk, and an abandoned candy store with windows that were darker than the licorice it used to sell.

This part of town was one step from a slum – it was a bad place to be if one was ignorant or didn't have any sort of weapon, not to mention the police force had gone to the birds for a while before the Angels hoped on, thinking they could purify the city as well as souls.

Drew landed beside her as she watched as a gremlin climbed out of the dumpster from across the street holding a rotting slice of pizza in his mouth. Drew folded his wings neatly behind him like a bird at rest, and turned to her. Her eyes were distant, as if searching for something better in the endless slate gray of the sky as it darkened, introducing afternoon to evening.

"So, now what? Wanna go home?" Drew asked quietly.

Kelly sighed, "No. I want to be as far away from that…man…as long as I can."

Drew cocked a thin eyebrow, "Okay, the Kelly I know would've slipped in the word 'bastard' if she were talking about Harley."

"Yeah, well, I'm trying not to swear anymore. Kitty doesn't like it," Kelly said with her nose stuck up in the air, her eyes closed to make a point.

"Kitty? The cat creature, girl…thing at Jack Lantern's bar?" Drew asked, as if he hadn't heard her right.

Kelly narrowed her eyes, "Yeah."

Drew leaned in, "So you're telling me the one known for being up for hokey pokey with anything with a wallet and a long slender, body part is offended by some choice words?"

"Shut up," Kelly said distantly.

She wasn't up for explaining her preferences and Drew just rolled his eyes. Things were just getting weirder, but he tried to dismiss it at best he could.

"Whatever…so, where are we going?" Drew asked uninterested in life it seemed.

"I don't know…we could sit here until seven," Kelly suggested, but there was no answer back.

There was just a pained sigh and rustling of uncomfortable wings. Drew sat next to her, watching the empty street grow older in time.


	3. Chapter 2

Chap 2

It was the start of the night, yet still as dark as the middle. This was the time when being a mortal couldn't have been more dangerous, why, with the gargoyles and vampires looking at them as breakfast. There was competition for mortal flesh. It didn't matter to Kelly and Drew, however. Instead of enjoying the nightlife, the two Demons were forced home, back to abandoned warehouse number six, where their curfew maker, Harley, waited for them in anxiety, or at least that's what he made it seem like.

They had gotten in an hour ago, and were now sitting on metal, fold up chairs at the metal, card stand they used as a dining room table, bored, waiting for Harley to grace them with his presence. Dark shadows danced over their faces, as the light bulb hanging on its wire from the high ceiling swung back and forth ever so slightly. The small room was dark aside from that bulb and was lined with long forgotten crates that they stored a few shared belongings in.

Drew and Kelly looked ahead as they heard soft footsteps. Harley was awake and the two already knew what they were in for when he appeared from behind the stacked crates that created a wall in the old, sea warehouse.

He was a tall, older man, though barely thirty and he acted as a parent figure to his younger companions. He wore a tight, sleeveless shirt, with a large, red, diamond shape on the chest, a smaller one below it, and another smaller one which was open and exposed his navel. His pants were quite the opposite as they were loose, black flares that hid his black shoes under the bellbottoms. He also wore a black, top hat with a red diamond-shape on the front, even indoors.

"You two came home late today," Harley walked up to them, his arms crossed as if he were a disappointed mother.

Kelly rolled her eyes, but she knew better then to answer him.

Drew answered instead, "Harley, five minutes isn't something to get your panties in a bunch about. Where were you when we got in the hour ago? Where was our warm meet n' greet?"

Harley huffed, "I was sleeping!"

Drew looked away from him as he mumbled, "Figures."

Harley now unfolded his arms and put his hands at his waist as he shot back, "Well, what else am I supposed to do here?"

"Clean, cook, screw around with Cacturne, I don't know," Kelly chimed in bitterly.

Harley glared at her just for opening her mouth. Kelly and Harley had never seen eye to eye, at least, not for a long time, and Drew could just feel the nightly fight coming on. He couldn't remember when the hatred had spawned between them and quite frankly, all he wanted to do was get out like the few Pokemon they owned always did when this sort of thing broke out. Just about now he could hear them scuttling into another room. Unfortunately any hint of movement from his position would drag him into the fight, so he watched as it grew into a storm.

"Why do you say things like that?" Harley snapped, "I can't take your constant, smart ass remarks! You should speak when you're spoken to!"

The tension in Harley's voice frightened the single light bulb and caused it to rock back and forth in a more pronounced fashion. Its light ran across the old stove that sat next to Drew and reflected back the three's hardships off of the many small, stolen articles that made their residence on the crate counters. Drew always figured that maybe the realization of their fucked up lives was the cause of all these fights. When once they were at the top of the food chain they now lived their lives struggling on the bottom while the Angels made sure of it.

Kelly growled back, "So, what? You expect me to become a phantom? If I could get a job I would've gotten out of here a million years ago!"

Drew shook his head, and took an ipod he had recently gotten from a victim's apartment out of his coat pocket. He turned the volume up to one of the many songs on it he didn't like just to drown the bickering out.

"We wouldn't have to hear your voice anymore! It's so incredibly annoying! You're such a nuisance!"

"I'm barely here all day! I never nag you! You're only saying that…because you think that…because I'm around you can't jump Drew whenever you want!" Kelly was stumbling on words in her anger - Drew could hear it through the blasting alternative.

"Don't take that tone! You know you're just annoying and never appreciate the things I do for you!

"Oh, you mean the meals I force you to cook?"

Drew growled loudly, "Would you two quiet down? This thing doesn't get any louder."

It was his way of telling them that if they didn't can it, some night patrol Angel would find them out. He sighed and the room filled with indifference again though tension was still running through the walls and under the concrete floor. Kelly and Harley bared teeth at each other, but their conflict stayed in their minds.

"I'm going then; fuck curfew," Kelly said, shouldering Harley out of her way.

She disappeared behind a large crate. Drew knew she was going to Jack Lantern's bar, probably to talk to Kitty who probably wouldn't listen but she'd make it seem that way.

"You come back here right this instant!" Harley shouted, although his power over the girl had been long gone.

"Just let her go," Drew mumbled, "You just want control over her and she's trying to resist. She'd nineteen, ya' know, she's had enough."

Harley's eyebrows came down in defeated anger, "I don't really care how old she is. If she gets caught they're going to know there are more of us and then we'll all be found out. Do you really think I want to be tortured by an Angel? That's damn pathetic."

Drew narrowed his eyes indifferently, "Kelly's fast and she's not as stupid as you think she is, but, the more you bother her, the more of a chance you'll push her to do something rash that could jeopardize us all."

Harley huffed again, and now defeated twice, he walked back to his room, disappearing behind the same rotten, wooden crate.

"I can't stand you either, Drew," he heard Harley mumble.

Drew shook his head and lowered the volume on the little, white music maker. He leaned back on the metal, fold up chair and closed his eyes as it creaked. Through the ear plugs, a young boy was screaming lyrics for an end to it all. Drew could agree – twas his favorite song.

…

Caroline opened her walk in closet, the beautiful chandelier that hung from her bedroom ceiling poured light into the smaller room before she switched on its own fluorescent lights. Caroline was a pretty Angel with brown, zig zagged locks of hair. She wore a white, silky blouse and a periwinkle skirt that reached over her knees. She walked into the large closet and started looking through the multitudes of clothing she owned, each one with its own pattern or story. She whipped past them with agile fingers and gasped happily when she finally found what she was looking for. She removed the hanger from the bar and looked at the stunning pearl-colored dress that hung from it. She smiled with happy tears accumulating in her eyes. She picked up the bottom so it wouldn't drag on the floor, and brought it to her bedroom where she set it down on the white sheets, admiring it all the way. Her bedroom was enormous, white, of course, and quite empty save for the bed, two dressers, and a few other small necessities, so she took long strides back and forth from the closet to the bed. May peeked her head in from the doorway, and watched as her mother went back and forth so happy.

"Um, Mom, whatcha doin'?" May asked as she stepped onto the wood paneled floor.

Caroline looked up at her with a warm, excited smile as she picked up the dress from the bed and showed May as if the girl had never seen it before.

"Oh, just getting myself excited," her mother said, her happy smile never dying, and her wings holding themselves high, "It's my wedding dress. We should see if it fits you. Close the door. Don't need your brother walking in."

"Uh, okay," May said, uneasily as the door clicked behind her.

She walked up to her mother's three paneled mirror, which presented her image in all front angles. Her mother got to work and detached the dress part from the corset. May hesitated a bit, but then just went with it and zipped down her casual clothes and removed her bra. Caroline untied the corset's back to loosen it and then handed it to May who slipped it on as gently as she could. It felt old and fragile against her skin, even though she knew that it had only been worn once. Caroline assisted her in putting her wings through the holes in the back.

"And the skirt…" Caroline trailed as she retrieved it from the bedside and handed it to May.

The girl stepped into it through the top and then slipped its lacey cloth up to her waist. As her mother worked to tighten the corset to fit her daughter's thin figure, May looked at the dress in the mirror, admiring its beauty. It was white, like any other wedding dress, but the corset part of it was breath taking with embossed patterns of roses and their leaves. The bra part of it showed the same design and topped with leaf patterns that appeared sharp, but were soft to the touch, and bended inward, trying though failing to cover her cleavage. The skirt was beautiful as well, all made of silk and lace with pearls sewn into it in a random pattern, and reached down to the floor covering her feet.

"Oh!" Caroline squeaked, "You look stunning in it! And it fits just about perfectly!"

May nodded in agreement, although the corset was sucking the breath out of her, literally.

"Yeah, but Mom, why the sudden interest in this wedding dress?" May turned around to find her mother dusting off the lacey veil and tiara.

"Didn't you go to see your father like I asked?" Caroline turned her happy expression into a worried one.

"I did…" May said, "But only I delivered news."

May walked to the bed, holding the dress up as not to trip on it and sat down on the thick comforter blanket that covered the bed. Her mother still stood ahead of her, her cheeks turning a slight pink.

"Oh," Caroline said, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Well…I didn't want to tell you, since it's really his duty…"

She trailed just as she heard the front door slam signaling that Norman was home. She rushed out of the bedroom and to the hall.

"Norman? Would you come up here?" Caroline called from the upstairs railing.

"Yes, dear, I know what you're about to say," he said as he climbed the stairs.

As he walked through the hall to get to his wife he explained, "I had forgotten to tell May about the plans because of a certain D she got on a particular Seven Deadly Sins test she took today."

He finished his sentence as he walked in the room, his arms crossed, showing he hadn't gotten over it. May bit her lip as she heard this, and turned to watch her mother's face become even more disappointed. Her wings sank.

"Oh, May," Caroline said in a dissatisfied tone.

"But!" Norman said, cutting off any sort of scolding Caroline could give their daughter, "I called her teacher and she can retake it on Friday, but that still doesn't mean the punishment is off."

May nodded, "I understand."

Complaining was futile. Her father's punishments were final - she was old enough to know that.

"On the other hand, Caroline, I think this worked out better. Now we can both be here to tell her," Norman said with a happy smile that seemed to have sprung from no where.

May looked up in confusion. She had known that something was going on and she knew it had something to do with marriage – the clue being the dress, of course. It then hit her as they began.

"May, the elder Angels and I have arranged your marriage," Norman told her with that same bright smile as he sat on the bed next to her, "As my oldest child it's your duty to become the next High Priest, but, as the rules state, only a man can have that position, so it would have to be your husband."

"Oh," May nodded indifferently.

She didn't mind that she, herself, couldn't get that position just because of her anatomy. She'd rather shave her own head than read from scrolls about demons and dragons and other fairytales, and for what? All of that was so boring.

"So, who's my husband?" May asked, knowing she didn't have a choice in all this and quite frankly didn't mind.

The elders at the church were good judges on compatible couples, and she figured her chances at unhappiness were slim.

"It took a good while, but in the end, we all agreed that Ash should be the new High Priest," Norman said, "He's quite capable, and you two are good friends, right?"

"Yeah, we are," May said, figuring the elders couldn't really pick anyone else.

They were right, on one hand, Ash was capable of being the High Priest, and unlike most of the other boys her age, Ash never once tried to get friendly with her just to have a shot at the position. He was kind, hard working, and had a mess of other good qualities, why shouldn't they pick him? The only problem was that she didn't want anything to do with it and the marriage would be so fake. That's not how she wanted her ceremony to go – she wanted it to be full of love and happiness, but now it would be full of political status and indifference on her part.

"Does he know about this?" May asked, eyeing her two parents.

"His mother should have told him when he got home from school," Caroline said.

"Oh, so that's why he didn't pick up my call," May muttered.

Just then, May's brother walked into the room, eyeing the situation. He was fifteen now, and a little taller than May. He had black hair, like his father, done in the same style he had always had. Dark eyes peered through thick, black frames and he wore a sleeveless, white vest that hooked together in the front and was decorated with black patterns along the edges. His pants her black, dress pants.

"So, I'm guessing you told her, finally?" the boy said, fixing his glasses, "About time."

"What? Max knew about it before me, too?" May exclaimed looking at both her parents in disbelief.

She then turned back to her brother, who had begun to speak.

"Come on, May, you know you're the last to find out about stuff, no matter what it is," Max came back calmly, "The whole Angel population knew about it before you. Duh."

"Why, you-!" May grumbled angrily as she got up with her hands outstretched to try and strangle him.

Caroline came between them, "Enough, you two. This is a time to be happy, not fight or pick on each other."

"Your mother's right. Get some rest, it's late," Norman told them as he got up from his seat on the bed, "Max and I will leave the room so you can get out of that dress, May."

Norman said, pushing Max toward the door.

Max commented before the door shut, "Looks good on ya, sis."

And then the door clicked shut. May got up from the sinking mattress and slipped the skirt off. Caroline came to help her with the corset. It loosened as soon at the tie was unraveled.

"So, what are the plans for tomorrow? Is Dad still letting you go to Misty's party?" Caroline asked as she helped remove the corset.

"Yeah," May said, becoming happy again with the memory of the party, "With all the excitement, I almost forgot."

May put her normal clothes back on. She grabbed her bra from the bed and clipped it back on. She then picked up her blouse and started to zip it back up.

"Do you know what you're going to wear?" Caroline asked.

"That blue dress you got for me a few weeks ago, I've decided," May said, cheerful.

"Oh! Good choice!" Caroline said.

They giggled in a girlfriend-like manner. Tomorrow was sneaking up quick, and the party would be a positive turn around from the dread May had endured that day…wouldn't it?


	4. Chapter 3

Chap 3

May twirled around in front of her mirror in her room. The blue of her evening dress she had bought especially for the party that night stood out against the gentle pink of the room's walls. The mirror was an oval shape and circled around May's image in its white splendor. A breeze blew in from the open, balcony doors behind her and ruffled the transparent curtains, as well as the loose bottom of her dress.

The gown was a deep, sky blue with a low neck area and light blue ruffles that snaked their way down her figure. Misty's party was one of class, May knew very well, and even this elegant dress made her feel underdressed. She knew Misty wouldn't mind - it would be the staring from the other mermaids that she would dread. The party wasn't for another hour or so, but May was determined to get their early. It was a Saturday night, after all and she'd rather walk around in the dark once than twice.

She sighed, "How do I look, guys?"

Her little Pokemon gathered around to evaluate her and they each gave a happy cry of approval. It was then that Beautifly flew over with a shiny, gold necklace. May took it graciously from the butterfly and fastened it around her neck. It wasn't much – just pure, thick gold – but it would do.

"I think that was the finishing touch," May said happily to the bug hovering close to her.

"Beau!" Beautifly agreed.

May took in a deep breath and then turned back to her Pokemon, "Alright, guys, I'm gonna leave now. Be good and if Mom asks, I'm having dinner at the party."

"Nyah!"

"Bulba!"

"Beau!"

"Combusken!"

"Munch!"

She gave them one last, happy smile and then headed down the extravagant staircase of her house. Her black heels clicked against the wood of the stairs which attracted her parents to come and see their daughter off. Before she even made it to the last step, Caroline and Norman rounded the corner and looked at her up and down.

"Why, May! It fits perfectly!" Caroline said in awe.

"Thanks, Mom," May said, a little bashful, "but I really gotta get there. I don't know what sort of traffic there is and stuff."

"Oh! Do you want us to drive you?" Caroline asked, worried about her daughter's well being.

Norman stepped into the conversation, "Now, now, Caroline, let May take care of herself. She's old enough to walk to the docks…just as long as she doesn't cross the Horizon Line, she should be fine. When does the party end, dear?"

"About eleven," May said surely.

"Okay, make sure you're back here by, at the latest, eleven-thirty," Norman said sternly.

"And have a nice time, dear," Caroline said.

May nodded as she opened the door. It then clicked behind her and she quickly made her way out of the secondary street and onto the main one.

…

Kelly laughed maniacally as she somersaulted over the city roofs as Drew followed her quietly on his wings. Despite the fact that the entire city was just itching to find a trace of them and hand it in for a handsome prize, no one figured they'd ever be out in the day time, and so playing as outward as this was no threat, really. It was only hunts that would stir attention and they weren't on a hunt. Drew stopped suddenly and landed on a building. He watched Kelly flip ahead and he rolled his eyes.

"Kelly, get your ass back over here!" he called to her.

She landed on the building over with a thud, and looked at him, annoyed.

"Why should I?" she challenged.

"You know damn well why!" Drew shouted back.

She looked down and around, trying to find the answer in the concrete surrounding her. It wasn't long before she looked back at him with a toothy, daring grin. She got up from her sitting-dog position and put her hands to her waist.

She was then nauseatingly sarcastic, "Oh! You mean I'm on the Lightie side? Oh, dear golly gosh! What ever will I do?"

Drew giggled as he watched Kelly dance around on the roof she was on.

"Oh, please," she ended, suddenly becoming serious, "C'mon! Unlike you or any Angel in these parts, the roof don't bite."

She then sat down like a normal, mortal being, in a position they called "pretzel style" - whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. Drew fluttered next to her and landed, but in a more sluggish way. He eventually propped his head up on the roof boundary that dropped off to the sidewalk below. Again they were like this, watching passerby stroll on their merry way to no where it seemed.

Drew didn't watch anyone in particular – there was a postal man with his trusty blue bag swung over his shoulder, a werewolf half mortal walking down the street as hairy as could be, a few fairies, and just other uninteresting species. Despite the fact that this was the Angel's main turf, Kelly and Drew rarely spotted one. Over the last few years of hanging out on random rooftops, there had only been about ten Angelic individuals to come into view. Of course Kelly and Drew would then hide, but it was all a thrill – to be so close to danger when danger didn't even acknowledge their existence. They had told Harley of the first time they saw one and he had lost his mind about it, obviously waving the "bad idea" flag.

It was then that Dew heard Kelly breath in loudly, suddenly. He knew what it meant, of course – something had peaked her interest, whether it was a nice looking chick or an Angel. Of course today, it was both.

"Wow," she tried to get him to ask what it was this time.

"What is it?" he asked, knowingly.

"Hot, chick-y Angel, ten o'clock," Kelly said, almost licking her lips, "Damn."

Drew looked amongst the crowd for the specimen Kelly had pointed out. The street was packed with parked cars and people were walking in all directions. Unfortunately, he couldn't point out an uptight-looking girl in white anywhere.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kelly," Drew said, becoming less interested as the seconds flew.

Kelly sighed in an annoyed fashion, and then pointed to a girl in blue crossing the street, almost getting run over in the process. Drew quirked an eyebrow. There was no way to tell for sure the girl was an Angel – they never showed their wings in public and this one was not wearing white, uniform-like attire.

"And how do you come to the conclusion that's an Angel?" he asked, still watching the girl skip over to their side of the street.

"Only Fairies and Angels think they're high and mighty enough to walk around in public like that. But, she's too tall to be a Fairy, so it's got to be an Angel," Kelly shared.

Drew's eyebrow was still quirked as he watched the well dressed teenager make her way down the next block toward the Lightie-side docks.

"Where do you think she's going all dressed up like that in such a hurry?" Drew asked.

Kelly shrugged, "Does it matter? She's still really, r-reall-ly, h-hot."

The female Demon had begun to shiver vigorously and she wrapped her arms around herself as her teeth chattered. Drew rolled his eyes as Kelly unfolded his nearest wing and wrapped it around herself like a blanket without any shame. She also sat shoulder to shoulder with him in an attempt to rob him of some warmth.

"Hey! Get your own body heat!" Drew exclaimed, quite annoyed.

"I h-haven't-n't g-got a-any-y at-t th-the m-mom-ment," Kelly said in her shaky, shivering voice.

"Well then stop lusting! You know it happens every time!" Drew narrowed his eyes.

Kelly smiled showing all of her pointed teeth, "Gu-guilty as ch-charged!"

Drew shook his head, but carelessly allowed Kelly to wrap herself around his arm. He watched as her Angel disappeared behind a building.

…

May had made it just in time for the start of the party. She strolled into the well-kept, abandoned warehouse where the mermaids of Metropolis called their hotel for some part of the year before they traveled off to an unknown place for the rest of the year. They had returned to the shores of the dark city a month ago, so May hadn't the slightest clue what they could be celebrating. She was sure it wasn't a birthday because she'd only be invited to Misty's birthday and that had long passed while the pod was away.

"Hello, May! We are like, so totally glad one of you Angels could make it!" cried a blonde mermaid from the pool of ocean water where ships would tug in their load.

Now it was just a home for the migrating fish. The blonde mermaid was pretty – she was wearing a pink, shell bra and a red, pearl necklace. There were two other mermaids near her, one with hot-pink hair and one with blue hair, but they were quieter than their alpha sister.

"Hi, Daisy," May waved to her, "I'm really glad I could make it too."

"And might I say, like, that dress is so totally rad," Daisy commented.

May felt a wave of relief sweep over her at this comment.

"Thanks so much, that makes me feel a lot better," May said with a happy sigh.

"Oh, no problem," Daisy said with a smile, "You shouldn't, ya know, care what those old merfolk think, because, well, you're dresses are always the best! But, um, anyway, I'm sure you're looking for our baby sister – she's right over there."

The blonde mermaid pointed to another mermaid further down the side of the pool. The red-headed fish-girl down yonder was setting up the refreshments table and helping out the older mermaids do some last minute cleaning up. May waved a goodbye to Misty's sisters as they had more greeting to do to other family friends.

The Angel walked over to Misty, and before she could even say hello, the mermaid turned around to greet her with a smile of happiness and relief.

"Hi, May! I'm really glad you could make it!" Misty said cheerfully.

She looked over to her elder, who waved her away with a smile. Misty turned away from the table and headed for her and May's 'spot', which was merely a concrete pier. May walked along the edge as Misty dove underneath the surface, showing she was better at swimming than May was at walking. Still, May sat down on the pier and Misty floated at the surface near her as the mer-leader, Triton, quieted everyone down to make his party-opener.

"We are gathered here with friends of all kinds to celebrate the return of the Remoraid. They travel to frightening waters, with waves too high or much too low, but today, my friends, they have returned like the changing, western wind to assure us of another year of good luck and prosperity for us all!" the elder merman articulated, waving his hands in a sophisticated sort of way, as if it had been practiced for many weeks.

He continued his speech from his start and May watched inevitably intrigued. The Angel had always admired the Merfolk, much more than her fairy counterparts. They were modest, sophisticated, and to themselves – they didn't mind other species of the city or the ocean. Triton finished his speech with a toast and everyone lifted a glass or a fist into the air in an "amen". It was then party time with the merfolk way of dancing or general chitchat to the music of shell horns and coral pipes.

"So, what's up, May?" Misty asked as she turned back to her Angelic friend.

"Eh, nothing much…drowning in schoolwork as usual," May said with a casual smile.

Misty nodded, "So where is everyone else?"

This was the question May had been dreading. Misty hadn't just invited her – she had invited their whole circle of friends.

May cleared her throat, "Well, I told you last week about Brock's trying to get a job as a school teacher. He had to go take a few tests today. By now I'm sure he's waiting for the grades and he just can't miss them."

"Oh," Misty said, a little down, "I'm starting to think they're just playing with him. Honestly, how many tests have you got to take?"

"The Angelic school board is all about high standard," May said with a roll of her sapphire eyes, "Anyway, well, Tracey's out traveling the coast-"

"Oh, yeah! You told me that!" Misty cut her off, "What's he trying to find, anyway?"

"I actually don't know anymore, but I'm pretty sure it was his choice," May said nodding for her own assurance.

"Will he be alright? I mean, I know the coast is like a beach, but it's still Outskirt," Misty said, concerned for her friend.

May waved her hand with no worry at all, "He should be fine with Marill, and should be back next week sometime, actually."

"That's wonderful news," Misty commented.

"Yeah…and Max couldn't come because he figured his date with Vivi was way more important," May said sarcastically, but Misty didn't really take the joke.

"He really said that?" Misty asked with a sad drone.

"No, no," May waved her hands, "Word for word, he said he had a, "a prior engagement he needed to attend", but we all know what that means…"

"Oh, yeah," Misty said, bringing her fishy tail to the surface and watched it flap around.

May paused, hoping that particular conversation was over. Looking around, she found that most of the guests were fairies, but May could pinpoint a few magicians by the way she saw them try to coax a few people to watch them perform a few tricks.

Misty looked up at her and she knew by the way the Angel wasn't making eye contact that she was trying to avoid finishing her explanation on why the people she, Misty, had invited weren't there.

The mermaid narrowed her eyes in a knowing way and went right ahead to ask, "May, where's Ash?"

Okay, so maybe this was the question May had been dreading. She knew second to Brock that Misty liked Ash quite a lot, and probably only invited everyone so that Ash would feel forced to come. Unfortunately, it seemed, it hadn't worked, since everyone but May had been busy.

May sweat dropped a tad and rubbed the back of her neck, "I'm sorry, Misty but he really couldn't make it."

Misty's eyes turned red in fury. She must have thought Ash bailed out on the last second. May waved her hands in protest.

"No, really! He did want to come…but he couldn't…" May wanted to avoid the reason as best she could because the reason would lead into other things.

Misty's rage held off, but she still looked like she wanted a real answer.

"Why?" was all she asked.

May sighed, "Because…my dad's talking to him…probably in some awkward talk about the do's and don't's of being the High Priest."

May's face was grim, but Misty's face had turned over to the other side of the spectrum with an excited smile. May hoped Misty wouldn't ask the next question that was sure to follow. Misty knew about placement and whatnot, but she didn't know exactly how Ash would get that position and that's what May wanted to avoid the entire time. Misty, of course, asked the question.

"How did he get it? I know all of the guy Angels want that spot," Misty said, still obliviously happy.

May sighed, "Because they chose him…to marry me."

May was good at showing she wasn't the least bit happy about the ordeal and neither was Misty, whose wide smile turned into a small, weak frown. She looked away from May, sorry she had asked.

"That's just how it works, Misty, I'm sorry," May apologized although it wasn't her fault at all, "The elders have to pick a suitable guy from the multitudes of those willing to take the job to marry the eldest daughter of the current High Priest if there is no older son."

"Oh," Misty said weakly, still watching the choppy surface slap up against the old, steel poles of their pier, "Well, they couldn't have chosen anyone better."

May smiled as Misty accepted the fact that there wasn't a chance in hell she'd be with Ash anyway. The Angels didn't like their gene pool being tampered with – those whose genes were not fully angelic were excommunicated from the church – God forbid.

Misty lifted herself into a sitting position next to May – her fishy, aquamarine tail was dangling in the water. It was for this reason she couldn't be with Ash – at least one part of her had to be in the water or she'd die. Misty didn't seem fazed by it, and she was smiling again.

"Out of everyone, ya know?" she commented further.

"Yeah, but I feel really bad about it," May said, "I mean, even after we're married, I can't even divorce him for you, 'cause, ya know, we all live in the fourteenth century."

Misty laughed at May's serious sarcasm. Enjoying the rest of the party for the next five hours would be easy now, why with activities like Kingdra racing and an official magic show to eat the time away like gluttony.

…

In the city of Metropolis, however, when ever one side of the Horizon Line was having fun, the other half would rather kill themselves. Kelly and Drew had returned home at the early time Harley had given them as a curfew, this time right on the nose and he rewarded them with dinner he'd cook himself. They didn't quite know what it was, but unfortunately for Kelly, she couldn't afford to miss it, unlike Drew who could live off the blood he had sucked out of the mortal they had hunted yesterday. Still, he'd do Harley a favor and try it at least.

Right now, though, they were watching a stolen television set. There was only one channel, and they watched old reruns of The Price is Right. The 'living room', as they called it, was nothing more than another room made of stacked, wooden crates with a ripped up couch off to the side and the TV carelessly placed ahead of it. Drew sat on the couch and Kelly lied on the floor, propping her head up with her hands and leaning on her elbows.

"What? It's a frickin' dishwasher! It's got to be worth more than that!" Kelly shouted at the TV.

There was a positive ring from the fuzzy speakers and Kelly quirked her head back in shock that a dishwasher really was that cheap.

"Guess not," Drew commented unenthusiastically, "Remember, they weren't under so much inflation back then."

"Lucky bastards…even vamps are lucky they can afford dryer sheets!" Kelly pointed out.

The show went to commercial and the two demons were mesmerized by the music like monkeys to shiny objects. It was a better time than any for Harley to call them in for dinner.

"Get in here and eat this," he called from the kitchen.

Drew and Kelly obediently got up, went to the kitchen, and sat down at their respective spots around the pitiful excuse for a dinning room table. Harley set down a bowl of slop in front of them each. Drew sniffed it, untrustingly, while Kelly swirled her dirty spoon around in it. It seemed sticky and it appeared brown with lumps in it. Drew and Kelly knew not to be curious about those lumps, but Drew swore he saw one of them with fur. Harley sat down with his own bowl of lumpy broth and stared at it in disgust.

"Eat up, kiddies, Ariados thinks its good," Harley broke the silence.

Drew didn't say anything and he knew the first chance he'd get he'd feed it to Flygon who was ready to receive it under the table. Kelly, on the other hand, couldn't hold back her criticism.

"Ew! You had your giant spider eat out of the pot before serving it to us?" she asked, officially disgusted.

"I used the spoon!" Harley defended himself.

It was a better time than any to give Flygon the chance to slurp some soup, and Drew quickly shoved it under the table. When Harley turned back to him, he whipped the bowl back to the tabletop.

"See! Drew's eating it!" Harley told her.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "I'm not putting any of this in my mouth. It looks like you had Ariados catch a Rattata, mutilate it, and dump it in your soup. Then you used a combination of its blood and puddle water as the broth."

Harley stared at her with a blank stare.

When he finally spoke he said, "How did you know that? I thought you were watching TV."

It was here that Kelly felt bile race up her throat, threatening to present the rest of them with a new soup. Drew just slapped his forehead.

"Besides, Kelly, you've put worse things in your mouth," Harley told her.

The female Demon's left eye twitched in sudden rage. The insult had just put her over the edge, but Harley didn't notice. He kept up with his ranting and raving, even though he agreed what they usually ate was disgusting, but still! He had to stand for five minutes snapping his fingers to warm this slop up for them. How ungrateful! He didn't stop there however, he went into unrelated topics as well.

"You're selfish and ungrateful! You shouldn't even come to dinner! You should just roam out on the streets and eat whatever rape victims you happen to score!"

He was really digging at the bottom of the barrel, and as Drew watched, he realized that Kelly wasn't really defending herself like she always did. She just sat there, and each second that went by as Harley overdid it just boded down to Kelly's anger reaching deeper and deeper into Wrath.

Drew pulled at Harley's arm, "Could you stop? What did I tell you yesterday?"

Harley stopped and looked over at Kelly. Her head was down and her short, lavender hair covered her face. The female Demon was silent, and as Harley and Drew watched in terror, she began to change shape a bit. Her fingers elongated without her consent and a devilish tail poked and lengthened from behind her. Her back became arched a bit, and when she spoke, two voices were speaking – one was her normal voice and another deeper, but still all Kelly.

"If that's what you really think, then let me show you what I think about everyday!" she said demonically.

"You mean, besides the girls?" Harley said as smartass-y as he could muster with his arms crossed over his chest.

Kelly gave out an ear splitting screech and swiped as the man with her razor-like digits. Drew acted fast and pulled Harley to the floor.

"Harley, what the hell! Say you're sorry and mean it!" Drew told him frantically.

Harley kept his arms folded, "Not until she says it first! She was the one who started it!"

Drew pulled him away as Kelly tried to strike again, this time getting her fingers lodged in the concrete floor.

"But she's in Wrath! She's not going to apologize!" Drew told him, as if he didn't know, but that was the point.

Harley knew it, and he didn't really care. It was then that Kelly finally ripped herself free by breaking her fingers. She didn't seem to be in pain as the bleeding stopped quickly and they simply regenerated themselves. She went to charge, and, defending himself and Harley, Drew used one of his wings as a shield and pushed Kelly back using it – it was fortunate she didn't puncture it. She fell on her back weakly. The female Demon was powerful but all three of them knew Drew could easily overtake any of them, no matter what deadly sin had possessed them. The Wrath Kelly, however, was too stubborn, and got up for another go.

She stopped suddenly, seeing Drew hunched near her in a threatening way and unfolding his wings to their full length. He hissed, baring his fangs that extended down to the straining point where they exuded their deadly poison. Wrath Kelly processed this scene as a potentially dangerous adversary, and so, using her agility, she escaped the scene, looking for easier targets to rip up, simply for the joy of it.

Drew went to follow her, ignoring the huffs and complaints Harley had to offer. He needed to know if she'd be okay in her final moments. There was no way out of Wrath unless what caused it was reversed. Since Harley wasn't going to help do that, her body would eventually fall apart.

He spread his wings wide and took flight. Drew didn't exactly know what he'd do once he'd caught her, however, but he just couldn't leave her arms and legs twitching all over the city, could he? It wouldn't happen immediately, he knew – some take more time to fall apart than others.

In the meantime, Kelly bounded through the city, looking for the right candidate to shred. She landed on a roof and patiently waited for some unfortunate soul to walk by. And unfortunate it was, as May walked down the street on her way home from the party. She was walking at a fast pace as the creeks of the night were frightening her. The exhilarating thump of the Angel's heart was all Kelly needed to recognize her as a worthy target. Of course the real Kelly deep inside found this a grand opportunity as well – she'd die letting the Angels know Demons still existed, which would lead them into finding Harley and torturing him senselessly, but also, she'd score Angel flesh and drag the little bitch down with her. Oh what a plan, and both her sides went for it with all they had. Kelly felt like a true Demon – so senseless, so free, so damned, and so evil.

Drew saw her swoop down from a rooftop, startling the Angel. Kelly chuckled in both her voices, just enjoying the moment – an Angel was frightened of her. Oh the glory. Kelly swiped, but missed, as May was faster than expected. The Angel didn't take the time to realize Kelly was a Demon, all she knew what that she was the prey. She unfolded her feathered wings, ripping the back of her dress. May observed that the monster's wings were too short for flight, and she used her own wings to escape.

Kelly watched her fly up and away and shook her head. The Demon then extended her fingers and dug them into the cement of the building side.

"Wrong move, baby, I don't need wings to fly!" Kelly called up to the Angel and swiftly shot herself up with extreme velocity.

May flew in a zigzag pattern to try and confuse her predator, but the Demon's eyes were too keen for that. She shot May down with a flick of her wrist and a finger right through one of the Angel's wings. May fell from the sky in pain and landed on a high roof in agony. She felt as though something broke, but she was too preoccupied with the bleeding wing. Kelly wasn't about to let her heal herself, however.

The Demon propped the Angel up against a crate that had been forgotten on that roof. May was slammed against the tin and Kelly held her there around the neck.

"Little guardian angel…but, who's guarding you?" Kelly teased into May's face in a sing-song-y way.

The Angel kicked and struggled, but Kelly wasn't in a caring mood. Before she could do anything else, however, she was pulled away from the frightened Lightie by her collar and thrown back. It wasn't very forceful, showing that the source wasn't really looking to hurt her and she fell to the ground. May fell to her knees in shock as she finally started to accept what was going on and realized that an even bigger creature had arrived.

"Kelly, what are you doing? Trying to get all of us killed? Remember, I didn't do anything to you!" Drew scolded.

The more devilish side of Kelly didn't process what he was saying and since she had more control, she forced Kelly's body to lunge at him. He blocked by crossing his arms, trying his best not to raise his wings and impale her with their sharp ends. Finding a window, he swiped and hit her in the cheek having her stumble a bit to the side. She then elongated her fingers again and tried to stab Drew with them. He was as quick as he was powerful, and he was out of her clutches in an instant, floating above her spearing range. She growled deeply in her throat, fueled by her ire.

Watching this, May was stunned to her seat against the crate. She still hadn't accepted they were Demons, instead, she thought they were vampires…but vampires didn't have wings or power like that, and they certainly weren't built for such close battle. They were cleverer and liked to use that for far ranging attack; like snipers. These two, on the other hand, were actually hitting each other with their hands and moving to the flow of the fight instead of thinking ahead.

Kelly used her fingers again, and lifted herself to eye level with Drew, balancing herself perfectly. This time, however, the stare down did not include fangs or narrowing eyes, at least not from Drew's side. He simply looked at her in the eye, which was now fully red and had mutated into a slit. Her nose was wrinkled as it seemed to have been pushed up and her mouth hung open, revealing teeth that had sharpened even more since the initial transformation.

"Kelly, you've got to snap out of it," Drew tried to talk to her, "You and I both know Harley's an ass; it's no reason to go all Wrath over."

Kelly growled, and he could tell the difference – her original voice was slowly fading to the second one. With no sense of words at this point, Kelly tried to swipe again and missed as Drew reacted and jolted out of the way. He then zoomed behind her and kicked her in the back causing her to falter forward. She hadn't quite lost grace, and in the blink of an eye she had turned around and leapt high into the air. It was then that she began to repeatedly impale him with her elongated fingers, retreat and then back again for another stab. All ten fingers made it deep within the flesh of his torso a few times each. Kelly only paused when gravity realized her and pulled her back, as it did Drew who fell to the roof top in a bloody mess.

Over at the sidelines, May cupped her mouth in a gasp. She wasn't used to seeing blood, especially not this way and the gore was not helping her supposed innocence in the least. She was still too terrified to move – any sort of movement could have the female monster remember her first obligation. May shuddered. What if the one who was inevitably defending her was dead? She'd surely die in a homicidal spree. Not quite flattering.

For an instance, Drew just lay there with his limbs spread apart. His body was aching and surely anything he was trying to prevent - mainly the Angels' knowing of the Demons' existence - was surely a lost cause by now. He let his immortality work its magic to slowly mend the wounds Kelly had caused him. He heard her footsteps approach him, and it was then he knew she had been completely sold to Wrath. Saving her was not an option, so if she continued to pursue the brawl, he'd have to fight back full force, no matter what gender she was. He waited for the right time to strike, acting as weak as he could. He knew Wrath wasn't aware he was part vamp, as Wrath was stubborn and didn't think it needed any help from its host.

Drew swiped his foot across Kelly's path and tripped her to give himself enough time to find his own ground. Once up, Kelly was as well and lunged toward him recklessly. It seemed Wrath was losing its cool and wanted to end this before the desire to kill was mutilated by the breaking down process. It was tough that Wrath wouldn't be able to cause anymore harm for now, as Drew simply extended the sharp end of his right wing toward her and she simply did the rest by unknowingly running into it.

Frightened of death, Wrath escaped her and now only sweet, go-getter Kelly was at the other end of the stake. Their eyes widened, preparing to take in what had just happened. Drew slowly removed his wing, feeling his breath grow cold – it was the tell-tale signal for Demons that death was just around the corner, and even before his wing was fully out of her, her eyes grew transparent and dull. Drew held her lifeless body, knowing he was the cause of it, which filled him with much remorse. There had been no other choice, he argued with himself.

May watched this, and finally boiled down to it in her mind that they were Demons, even though their appearance was way off from what she had been taught, there was no other way to explain their behavior. But…but where were the knife-slit eyes? Where was the small body? The devilish, pointed tail? It had simply disappeared from the female Demon as soon as she was staked, but how could that be? Where were the pointed ears? The blood-thirsty smile? Shouldn't this other Demon now be claiming her as his own prey? Why wasn't he ripping her up or slowly torturing her all for the good sport of it? Instead, he stood, feeling sorry that he had killed the other Demon. It was all too mind - boggling, but May had to accept that they couldn't be anything else that lived in the city. Not fairies, not werewolves, not necromancers, not vampires, definitely not Angels…

Drew looked over at May and quirked an eyebrow. There was nothing homicidal about it, just a confused look, as if he were asking her why she was still staring or even sticking around. She couldn't answer this herself…but perhaps it was because she had found a new interest in them finally, but it was definitely not the best time to conclude she was ready to take that test on Thursday.

The Demon then spoke to her clear as a whistle though bitter, in a voice May couldn't believe was demonic, "Don't tell me you're to show for the top of the food chain."

She didn't answer and he peacefully flew away with the dead girl in his arms towards the docks back to the warehouse. It was only after he disappeared May computed that as an insult to her species, as she should have expected. It didn't matter what a Demon looked like; evidently they were still low-lives and perhaps their made-up new look only mirrored that.

She was alone in the night again, and, although shaken, she made the rest of the way home in one piece, first healing her puncture wound and washing off the blood so that her parents wouldn't ask of it. If there ever was an important class, May thought, Magic and Healing was definitely one of them.

Making her way as silently as she could, she tried her best not to make too much noise. She was bound to always tell the truth, but that didn't mean she had to shout it outright.

"May, is that you?" she heard her mother call from down the hall in another room.

Obviously her parents were committed to staying up all night until she came home safe and sound – but that had only been because of that Demon. Whether he had been selfish or not in saving her life, she still owed him some sort of gratitude, and since she couldn't very well walk up to his door, she decided not to tell her parents about it at all.

"How was the party, dear?" Caroline was out to nag her, though.

"It was fun…I mostly hung out with Misty, though," May replied, keeping it light, but not necessarily avoiding conversation.

When her parents were silent, she ran up the stairs to her room, not waiting to see if they'd ask why she was late.

She sat on her bed, staring at the floor and her Pokemon watched her with concern. When the Angel finally snapped herself out of it, and went to get undressed, she still couldn't get the evening's events out of her mind. The Demon's face and his voice had been telling – she had been lied to, and there was probably a lot more the Angels were keeping from her. It was final – she was going to find that Demon again.


	5. Chapter 4

Chap 4

The sun arose from its watery, horizon covers, ready for a new, twenty-four hour cycle. Through the curtains shading the glass doors to the balcony, the sunshine peered in and stained the carpet with its light-yellow glow. As a morning type, May was up with the sun, although her smile wasn't. Yesterday was still on her mind and it was quite a pity Misty's party had nothing to do with it. That Demon – he still clung to every one of her thoughts and she just had to talk to him. She got dressed quickly into her normal, uniform-like attire and slipped out of the room so that her Pokemon could sleep soundly until noon.

It was Sunday, so instead of having the downstairs all to herself, May found the entire family had been ready before her. Caroline was at the stove burners cooking breakfast things, Norman was at the table with the paper, and her brother…well he wasn't around, but the sound of the TV not too far off let her know Max was up as well. Her father would soon be off to church, her mother with him, and Max would be…wherever he wanted. That meant she'd be able to go in search of her dark savior for most of the day…that is, if he came out in the day.

"Good morning," May chimed as she walked into the kitchen.

She sat at the wooden dinette across from her father, who was at the head, and leaned her bended elbows on the glass protecting the finished wood. She swayed her feet back and forth in anticipation.

"Good morning to you as well, May," Caroline said, scraping scrambled eggs into a plate, "You ran up to your room so quickly yesterday we didn't get a chance to figure out why you were so late."

Her mother put a clenched hand to her hip. May jumped in her chair.

"Oh, um," May contemplated her answer quickly and lied, "I lost track of time. Misty and I were having such a great conversation. I'm sorry."

Her acting skills were indeed impeccable. Her parents nodded, knowing May to be honest, but May herself felt badly about it. Unfortunately, even if she didn't owe anything to the Demon, it was too late to report them. It would start a pandemonium and she'd be accused of siding with them for not telling of their kind's reappearance as soon as she had spotted them. Although, among all of this, she still wanted to find that Demon again – he seemed to carry a lot of answers with him, if only from how he looked. May snapped out of this thought process as soon as the food was served to her and the smell had risen to her pixie nose.

The family ate breakfast together as they made sure they did every Sunday. The family spoke of normal things at mealtimes, but May wasn't a part of this conversation – she only listened intently. It was soon that breakfast was over and everyone would be off, although Max had left as soon as he had cleaned his plate. May got up and cleaned off the table as her parents continued whatever they were talking about. The two of them then got up and May knew they'd be off shortly, which finally relieved her. May left the sink and stood with her parents as they got ready in the foyer.

"Don't forget, May, you're still grounded," Norman said as he pulled on a jacket, "I want you studying for that test all day."

Caroline added, "If you want to take a break, dear, you can always get the things on the shopping list that's on the refrigerator door for me."

May nodded, "Okay, I'll get all that done."

"Good," Norman said softly and then kissed her on the head, "We might be late, so start dinner and call Max in."

"Okay."

"We love you honey, try to make it fun," Caroline said soothingly, kissed her daughter on the cheek and followed her husband out the door.

May heard them drive away in their expensive, black car to the church. She waited for a second and then ran to the kitchen. She grabbed the shopping list off the refrigerator door, slipped on her shoes, and ran out the back door. She locked it with her key and off the Angel went to get those things her mother wanted. They'd be back at about five-ish, she knew, so she had the whole day to kick back. However, the Angel also felt badly here, going against her father's wishes and all, but in reality she was still doing what her mother asked - just with a few pit stops!

As she walked to the open markets a few blocks from the Angel community, she wondered what she'd say to the Demon if she saw him. This worried her – she knew she'd end up not being able to get a word out before he disappeared on those black wings into the shadows. She decided then to just forget it.

May picked out and bought a few things on her mother's list and then went on her way. Her face sagged a bit, just thinking about the rest of the day locked up in her room having to study a bunch of lies most likely. She checked the list in her hand and found there was one more thing she had to get – a Spoink pot roast. She walked into the butcher shop a little further from the fruit market. As the door opened, a little bell chimed above her head and the mortals working there perked their heads above the counter to see her.

A fat, dark haired mortal in a white apron greeted her, "Good morning there, missy, how can we help ya?"

They had no idea she was an Angel and in earlier years, that would have made her giggle.

"Hello," she greeted back, "I need a medium sized Spoink pot roast, please."

The man frowned, "Aye, we're all out of that. But I will tell ya where ye can get some. You'll have to go to the butcher shop just beyond the Horizon Line."

He wrote the address on his notepad for her.

"I figure it might be a wee bit too dangerous over there for a purty lass like yourself. You can come back tomorrah; we'll have some more of that roast then," the man said handing the paper to her.

May wasn't listening though, and said in a slight whisper, "Of course!" thinking that was most likely where she'd find her guardian Demon. She thanked the man for the information and then headed for the city's split where the Light property ended and the Dark territory began. She walked confidently and felt a little bit lucky to have such a great excuse to go over the city boundary.

The neighborhood seemed to change almost immediately as May crossed the Horizon Line – garbage was all over the cracked sidewalks and most of the windows on the buildings were dark and musty. Every other business was closed down or boarded up tightly. She also concluded that the Darkie ally-ways were about the scariest things she had ever seen even though they were mostly empty. May trudged through her fears, however, for her main goal right then was to find that Demon…and get a pot roast.

…

On the other hand, Drew had all but forgotten about last night in hopes to ease the loss of his best, or rather, only true friend. He pulled on his shoes in the dim glow of the light bulb that hung over his head in the dining room. He heard Harley snore a few boxes over. The short-winged Demon slept in late everyday as if it were his last weekend and this astonished Drew. How it was possible that a Demon that lazy had not been consumed and slain but Sloth he had no idea. Perhaps the sin was as lazy as its definition described? Nevertheless, Drew took this time to fly out after passing rotten scraps out to Flygon and Grumpig beforehand. With Kelly gone, Drew knew he was the only responsible one left to take care of the orphaned pig Pokemon. He also made sure to let Roselia out so that she could soak up some sun. With that done, the Demon was then gone from the warehouse for the rest of the day.

He flew out to the city with little care if someone saw him – they'd take his silhouette as a mirage first, if anything. He landed in an ally-way next to his favorite butcher shop – that is, his favorite one to raid at night to get a decent meal. He folded his wings into his back for safety, this way if anyone did spot him, they'd take him as a dark magician or something of that nature. Drew then took the liberty to walk out onto the sidewalk. He had not done this in a long time since Kelly had always liked to live on the edge and hiding wasn't a part of that. It felt refreshing, yet sad in a way.

Drew's thoughts crumbled to a chime nearby from the door of the shop. A white, fair figure skidded out and in mid-stride, tripped over a raised slab of concrete sidewalk. She fell to the ground on her knees, scraping them up real well. As she fell, her groceries went flying, including an orange that shot toward Drew like a bullet. With fast reflexes, he blocked himself and caught the fruit before it made contact with his forehead. The Demon then sighed and walked up to the girl who held a bleeding knee.

"What are you doing?" he asked, knowing well that the Goblins that owned that shop had probably harassed her before handing over whatever it was she needed to get.

She looked up at him, and although her cerulean eyes did not faze him, her helplessness broke some sort of tension in him. He normally couldn't care less for others, but no one deserved to be treated like crap and then again once they had escaped the crappy situation. May, on the other hand, gasped, instantly recognizing him.

"I-I'm really sorry about that!" she said, trying to sound as apologetic as angelically possible.

Although her clan had successfully trounced his, she still felt weak next to him. He was taller than her and if her memory served her well, his wings were much larger than any Angel she had seen. She had stood up and bowed respectively which had only raised a quirked eyebrow from the dark acquaintance. May couldn't say anything else – what was there to say?

"Well, it helps to watch where you're going," he said in a low tone, and dropped the orange that was still clutched in his hand into her brown paper bag.

"Well, yeah, but…d-don't you remember me?" May choked out, trying her best not to let this moment go to waste.

"Should I?"

"Yes! Last night!"

Drew raised his eyebrows, shocked and appalled at the coincidence. He then sweat dropped nervously as his memory of the Angel Kelly had attacked matched with the picture he saw before him. Almost frightened of what could come next, he hid his fears and chuckled in her face.

"You must have me mistaken for something else," he said turning to walk away as fast as he could, but May wasn't about to let this fish off her hook.

Before he could even start a stride, she jumped in front of him and said, "You can admit you remember – I'm not gonna tell anybody."

This only confused Drew more, and although he didn't exactly trust her, he figured if she hadn't told on him yet, she wouldn't tell. Angels were notorious for their loyalty and strong family bonds. Had he been lucky enough to find a rebel amongst the army of brainwashed souls? He knew Kelly would not have agreed, for she had purposely targeted an Angel for Harley. He sighed.

"Look - what do you want?" he asked quickly, trying to get the conversation over with.

"I want to thank you first," May mumbled, "for last night and all."

"It wasn't about you…" he trailed.

"I know, but I'm still here because of you and it still deserves a thanking."

Drew shoved his hands into his pockets, "Okay, you're welcome, I guess. Anything else?"

"Yes!" May said excitedly, "I want to know more about you De-"

Drew covered her mouth before she could finish, "Shut up! Are you insane?"

May pushed his hand away, "No! What's your deal?"

"Um, survival? One peep of that word and my ass is being cooked by you damn Angels!" he gritted in a whisper, "And besides, I'm no extra help teacher. Good day to you."

With that he walked away from her and back into the alley where he widened his wings to lift himself onto the roof. He still didn't want to go home but he had to get away from that Angel. It was a tough decision. He stayed there on the roof on the opposite side of the street-facing corner where he looked down to an extended ally. He figured the Angel would give up at that and get out of Darkie territory before she was raped in broad daylight. Unfortunately, this was not true. She had just as easily spread her wings and followed him to the top carrying her groceries with her.

"Do I really have to fly a few blocks in order to lose you?" he asked, almost jokingly because if he had really wanted to, he would've pushed back his Sloth and gone the extra block.

"I just…want answers," she said softly standing far from him, her wings sagged in a helpless sort of way, "They've always taught me that Demons were little, disgusting creatures with jagged teeth and slimy skin…but with you I see that's not true."

He turned around with a sarcastic, shocked face, "You just figured out now the Angels lie? Damn."

"It's not funny!" May complained as she heard him snicker, "And I really want to know more. Before last night, I didn't care about Demons because I didn't think it was important to learn about something that didn't exist…but now that I know you do and that you're not what you're said to be, well…I'd like to know if there is anything else…?"

Drew had become serious and listened intently to what she had to say. For a second he felt sorry for her – it was almost like those times when the mortal children find out their parents are behind all the holiday heroes.

"There's a hell of a lot else," he answered, "Like, for instance – you all lie about how they're messengers of God. No you're not, but it makes you look good - that's why they say it. You Angles are just as power-hungry as we ever were. Hell, you kicked us out so that you could rule both sides of the city…like the large Lightie section wasn't big enough for ya."

As he started a calm tangent, May had walked up to him and now sat next to him, although still far away. She wasn't supposed to be in the Darkie area to begin with, let alone talking to a member of the forbidden species. Even though she knew she was disobeying her father and going against her entire clan, she stuck around. There was something about this new flow of truth that made her stay and listen carefully. She was much more interested now, perhaps because what she was learning in school was falsctly trust her, he figured if she hadn't told on him yet, she wouldn't tell. Angels were notorious for their loyalty and strong family bonds. Had he been lucky enough to find a rebel amongst the army of brainwashed souls? He knew Kelly would not have agreed, for she had purposely targeted an Angel for Harley. He sighed. "Look - what do you want?" he asked quickly, trying to get the conversation over with. "I want to thank you first," May mumbled, "for last night and all." "It wasn't about you…" he trailed.e propaganda where as this was fact…or at least it was a little more interesting. Drew knew he could leave at any time, but it wasn't as if he had anything else better to do – what could be better than ranting about the Angels to an actual Angel? The exchange worked well for the both of them. "But, I've always heard you were the ones who were power-hungry…so to stop you, we banished you," May said, confused and all turned around. Drew shook his head, "Stories could be different…but the stuff that goes on a tight grip and you claimed the entire city out of…what did you say? To save it from us? So that you could govern it 'properly'? Well, I have yet to see some sort of government in these parts. You only wanted this territory to have it, not that you'd do anything about the constant anarchy here. It's called Greed."

May huffed, but she couldn't conjure up a good comeback. It had only taken her a few minutes in those parts to realize the area was at a cliff's edge with complete chaos at the bottom. All inhabitants were out for themselves – there was no "good of the community". It was also common knowledge to her that the poor mortals there were treated like seasonal game – what kind of community was that?

"Well? Need I go on?" Drew asked.

May shook her head, "Not really. I've never been around here before and from what I see, you're right."

"Of course I'm right, I live here," Drew mumbled.

May didn't hear him, "I…I could really use your help! I know you said you weren't interested in helping me…but it'd be really great if you could…"

"With what?"

"A test I failed?" May sweat dropped as she gave a bashful grin.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Drew asked, sarcastically rolling his eyes.

May felt her face become red in embarrassment. She looked down and caught a glimpse of her watch.

"Oh, Christ, I have to go," May said quickly, realizing she still had to be at home studying when someone came home.

Whether or not her new acquaintance was telling reality in rant, she still had to answer her test in the way her teacher had taught it.

"Can I meet you here after school…um?" May asked a little hesitant.

Drew thought about it and then said, "It's Drew…and why not? I have nothing better to do than give you a reality check."

His sarcasm wasn't pleasing, but it was still an agreement.

"Okay," May said, and then added, "I'm May, in case you were wondering.

"Wasn't wondering, but thanks anyway," Drew said as he waved a goodbye.

May said goodbye, shaking her head, and then flew off back home in a hurry. What she was about to do over the next week would be dangerous work – spending peaceful time with a Demon was like mutiny and punishable by death in the literal sense. But, it was only for one week - not even - and if she kept a low profile, nothing would go wrong. She only hoped Max wasn't home to tell her parents she had taken ample time to grocery shop which would lead to a difficult explanation. Luckily he wasn't home and she had the rest of the day to study, or rather, procrastinate with it.

When her parents came home, she had already started dinner. At the table, as her parents ate in peace, May couldn't help but look at them in a different way than she had that morning. They were liars…every last one of them.

…

The next day, May found it hard to concentrate, not that it had been difficult to get distracted in the first place, but now all of the things she learned yesterday were buzzing around in her mind. They filtered out anything else that said otherwise.

After school, May was reluctant to waste her time in Brock's tutoring session and she was relieved to find out he had a previous engagement and couldn't be there that day. Since her parents still believed she was to go to tutoring, she used that time to meet up with Drew. She hadn't done so much lying and sneaking around her whole life, but, according to what Drew had told her yesterday, she was due, excessively.

So, she went on her way down to the Horizon Line and crossed it, still hesitant with images of her father passing over her eyes reminding her she was disobeying him as she walked on. The Angel pushed the memories away and made it to the building she had been at the day before.

Sure as morning sun Drew was there waiting with his head propped up on his crossed arms on the roof's edge. His wings were carelessly drooped behind him and it took him a while to drag himself from the afternoon scenes below on the street to face her.

"On my way here I had doubts you'd be here," May said, "Thank you…I don't have much time today."

"And when you get home, are you're going to lie?" Drew asked, a crooked grin across his face, as if he were her accomplice.

"No!" May shot back.

"So what are you going to say?" Drew continued, "I know for sure this isn't where you're supposed to be."

May huffed and ignored his question – she simply answered with her rummaging through her knapsack for school. She emerged with a folder, one filled with papers but not to the point of bulging.

"It's not any of your business!" she whined and then handed the red folder to him, "Here…this is the stuff I want to know…from your point of view. I want to know if they lie about this too!"

Drew took the folder gently and then opened it. He looked down at the contents and a laugh escaped him for a moment. He quickly recaptured it into his hand, but couldn't keep it under control.

"What are you laughing at?" May snapped at him.

"Your drawing skills are simply to die for!" he cackled and then showed her a picture of a supposed Demon she had drawn as a model in class.

The creature was horribly drawn, but, somehow, Drew could make out what it was…or at least he thought he could.

"Don't laugh at that!" May whined, "It obviously isn't for Arts!"

"I can tell!" Drew cracked another joke on the poor, defenseless piece of work, "But it's not even correct! We Demons don't look like that!"

"Well, I know that now!" May said with narrowed eyes, "Well, then, what is it? They had to get the design from somewhere."

"Hey!" Drew turned to her with a smile.

"What?" she asked bewildered.

"You actually figured something out!"

May's brow furrowed, "And you're very mean!"

Drew's face twisted in confusion and he said, "Um…Demon?"

"Right. Whatever," May growled, "But, can we get back to this? What is it?"

"It's a…" Drew trailed, "Well, I'll show you."

…

They had folded their wings and walked the streets as mortal look-alikes toward another ally way further into Darkie territory. There, May followed Drew into the ally and turned a corner into an extended area where the buildings from the street showed their small, back exits. The area was smelly as garbage sat in bags forgotten, left to rot.

"Jim? Where are you?" Drew called looked around the garbage bags.

He then came to a large, navy-colored dumpster hidden behind the first building's metal stairs from its backdoor. Drew knocked on the top of the dumpster with a knowing smile.

"Jim, come on out," he pleaded.

"You have something for me?" came an old, scratchy voice from inside the dumpster, "You know the deal."

Drew sighed, "No, we had to bury it…but I'll bring you extra next time; promise."

The side of the dumpster began to slide, though reluctantly in its old, rusty age. May looked harder and she could see two, clawed hands pry the metal home open. She backed away ever so slightly as the abomination walked out of its disgusting living quarters. The creature was only about half her height and wore no clothes to speak of. It had a skinny body, though its stomach hinted that it ate well, with scrawny limbs and a big, round head. The creature's skin was the color of yellow puke with brown patches only present upon its bald head. It had large, rabbit-like ears upon that head as well as a few white hairs and a terrifying face. With big, black, slit-like eyes, jagged teeth, and long claws, the creature was even more terrifying than what the Angel community had depicted. Of course, any fright was only a real fright in person.

"Who's your friend?" Jim asked, and then, almost figuring something out, he yelled, "I am not your god damn petting zoo!"

Drew only laughed as Jim tried to shove him, "Relax…although you kinda are a presentation, I'm proving to this Angel that Demons and Gremlins are far from the same thing."

"Well, of course!" Jim said, "Shit, you're closer to her than you are to me in the grand scheme of things!"

The Gremlin walked up to May and then said with a toothy smile, "Miss, I'mma Gremlin, close cousin of the goblin…but in no shape or form am I a Demon. I'm a scavenger, not a hunter…I scavenge off him. And come to think of that, I really need that body."

The creature had now turned to face Drew in a way that the Demon just knew he'd be talking about business. Drew rolled his eyes – he didn't want to deal with this. It was so unexpected.

"For what?" Drew hissed, "We already buried it."

"I need to pay off a vampire…I figured I'd ask since you usually don't finish them off…you haven't have you?"

"No…and what do you need to pay a blood-sucker off for anyway?"

"She gave me money that I could give these bastards to let me live here!"

Jim pointed at the building his dumpster was propped up against.

"You know goblins are only nice when they know they're getting something out of it. This body will keep everyone quiet…all you have to do is dig it up. Believe me…this broad doesn't care if there are worms in it already."

May stood listening to the conversation and finally spoke, "A body? You murdered someone?"

Drew and Jim turned towards her with little care on their faces.

"Kid's gotta eat," Jim said, lifting his hands toward Drew, "It's the Darkie way."

"It was just a mortal, chill out," Drew told her.

May was utterly disgusted.

"I know you're not used to it because you don't live in these parts, but all the Darkies here have come to an agreement that any food we get will go to the mortals. That way, we can…well…ya know…eat them," Jim said with an unfazed shrug.

"Besides – they can recover their population," he snapped his fingers, "like that."

May accepted it and knew that it was the greatest example Drew had given her. The Angels only claimed that part of the city to have it…but they hadn't done anything to govern it. It just wasn't a society. The stronger inhabitants were literally domesticating their neighbors for food purposes.

Jim turned back to Drew, "Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah," Drew said, "But as a bonus…I'll deliver it myself. What's the address?"

May watched as Drew and his Gremlin friend exchanged information. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and, on the other hand, couldn't believe she hadn't seen it coming. Why had she viewed her Demon acquaintance in an innocent way? It was obvious that he wasn't, from their very first meeting…

May snapped out of her thoughts as her watch began to buzz its little alarm. The session was over, and they hadn't even begun covering the material May had wanted.

"What is that?" Drew asked.

"I need to get home," said May in an apologetic manner, "I guess I will see you tomorrow."

She then spread her wings and flew into the sky without looking back. Despite what she had witnessed, it made little difference to her views of her new friend. She only hoped Brock would go on another date so that she could meet up with Drew once more. His life seemed to be so exciting and underground, hidden from the world, and he'd only watch that world he hid from on a roof top while she was at school being taught useless stories.

Drew watched her go and then turned back to Jim who was staring at him, as if trying to figure out his motives.

"Why are you hanging out with an Angel? She could slip the edge of a word about you and you'd be staked faster than you can blink," Jim inquired.

"So, what? I haven't got anything else better to do," Drew told him, "It's a great opportunity to do some useful ranting. I feel relieved, almost. I'm just hoping that maybe through all this, I can change something around these parts."

"Everything 'around these parts' is fine! We've been doing this for years!" Jim practically shouted and then shook his head, "Well…ya know what? All I have to say is that you better be careful and not get attached to her. More hell will break loose if you even think about touching her."

Drew rolled his eyes, "Jim, you know damn well Lust and I never hung out. Why now?"

"You wanna change somethin'; she wants answers; everything's falling into line and shit's gonna hit the fan."

"I'll tell you what, Jim – if I do do some crap, and some huge…thing starts up because of it, I'll give you a hundred bodies. Deal?"

"Deal," the Gremlin said as he walked towards his dumpster, "But for everyone's safety, I hope I don't see those bodies."

He then shut the slider closed and left Drew alone in the empty alley way. The Demon looked to the sky; it was darkening.


	6. Chapter 5

Chap 5

May folded her hands and then unfolded them anxiously. She was still the only one that knew about the Demon's return into existence, and she knew for sure no one had even suspected she was doing anything wrong, but it felt like they did. It felt like they all knew and weren't letting her know that, even though the chances of that happening were about as slim as Drew all of sudden losing his ability to spew sarcasm. She knew that if the Angels even had a hint of what was going on they'd take action quick enough to race a Rapidash – so why was she so nervous?

The drone of her math teacher was so low it almost seemed as though no one was talking at all which allowed her to daydream the most at that particular time. Sure, she looked as though she was paying attention with her eyes plastered to the board, but her mind was not following their example. She was nervous inside, and decided then that she had to cut her, whatever was going on with Drew, off. It was too dangerous and it was reckless, she found, of herself to take a chance like that. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

When the bell rang, May got up slowly and paid no mind to the others around her, avoiding eye contact. She felt almost segregated from them, even if they didn't have a clue.

As she walked to Brock's room for her after-school tutoring session, she agreed with herself that she would see Drew that day as their last day and never again would she seek him out. He wouldn't mind, he's a Demon! He wouldn't feel the pain of loss, she figured. Besides, they had only met much less than a week ago – it was a simple blip in their lives that would be buried under much more important memories…

She sat down in her rightful place in front of the chalkboard. Brock was waiting for her there.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, I-" he began, but May waved him to silence.

"It's alright…I…I had a lot of homework anyway," she lied…again, for that Demon.

"Oh, I see," Brock said, with a smile and then started his lesson.

May listened, and although she felt the need to correct him a few times as she was sure Drew would have, she kept her mouth closed. The Angel had no justification for knowing things only a Demon or a student that supposedly cared would. Brock explained the same things over to her again and she figured that he was merely beating it into her head now.

Brock had to leave a little earlier than usual and this gave May much delight. She hadn't been able to tell Drew yesterday she was going to be late…but he wouldn't mind, right? He'd be on that rooftop all day anyway, right?

She flew up to that rooftop to find he wasn't there. Did he really get fed up waiting? Perhaps he wasn't as slothful as she had inferred? No, she remembered he had a job for Jim he had to take care of, and, in that sense, he really was slothful, leaving that until last minute and all that! She sighed, shaking her head, and tried to remember their conversation. Jim had pointed out an address that was close to the Horizon Line which was odd for a vampire residence. They usually preferred the tenements further into Darkie territory, but this one seemed to think it owned the apartment building May was flying to, as well as all the prey that lived inside.

May landed in an alley-way, folded her wings and walked up to the concrete stoop of the building. The edifice was very wide and was five stories of apartments in height with each that faced the street complete with a sort of balcony. May did not see Drew outside, but there was a dark figure beside the steps nonetheless. Beside him was an odd looking Pokemon May hadn't seen before. It looked like a living scarecrow-cactus. The man beside the creature wore what looked to be dark circus clothes and a black top hat. When a burst of flames shot out from him, May knew instantly he was a pyro. She'd never seen one in real life before and although she heard they do very good street performances, they were tricky and basically mortal beggars. Unbeknownst to May, this was Harley.

"Um, excuse me?" May tried cautiously.

The man turned around as did his plant Pokemon. They were both frightening in appearance, but in a reserved sort of way.

"Can we help you?" the man said in a suggestive manner, twirling around a violet lock of hair on his finger.

"Yes. Did you see a teenager in black clothes go into this building? I'm looking for him," May told the stranger, but he was barely listening.

He started up when he didn't find her conversation entertaining, "Yanno, hun, the show doesn't start for a good few hours…and it's in the park. You better get your fanny a good place."

"That wasn't the question!"

"But I guess I could give you a demonstration…"

May sighed, knowing it was pointless to get through to him. Although, his obvious problem to cooperate was proof enough Drew was inside…or the man had attention problems. Either way, May agreed to the demo performance.

Harley started his act, raining embers over his head by snapping his fingers and sending the flames over. Cacturne had taken his hat and stood back, being a Grass type and all. Harley then snapped his fingers again and this time sent the flames up as fireworks. They popped in mid air and made dazzling smaller flames that fizzled when they hit the concrete around him. Harley then went for his closer as the smaller flames still fell, holding his pointer and thumb up to his face, building the potential energy up inside them. He then snapped those digits and blew the flames toward May. Startled, she jumped back, and the flame died as quickly as it had come. A few seconds after all the flames were gone, Cacturne forced Harley's top hat into May's face so that she could drop spare change inside.

She wasn't speaking so Harley took the advantage to, "So? What did you think?"

He was ready to hear praise that would boost his pride, but, unfortunately, it wasn't in the form he had wanted.

"Wow! That wasn't half bad!" May told him, meaning better, but, unfortunately, nothing except "That was great! I wish I could be you!" and the like would not have pleased Harley anyway.

He stood in silent, invisible anger and only said in an irritated voice, "Uh, sure, guess I need to work on that…"

Underneath his cool exterior, Harley was outraged. How dare she say such low things about his performance! All women were the same, apparently – they were never impressed and were always greedy for more.

"Yeah, just a little," May said harmlessly, but it only put salt on Harley's flaming wounds.

He growled and then bursted, "What do you mean, 'just a little'? Who do you think you are, you bitch?"

May's eyes widened and she curled up, feeling awfully small.

She squealed, "I only meant your clothes! They aren't that inviting!"

Harley's mouth dropped, "My-my clothes! You mock my fashion sense! Uh-uh, now you're goin' too far, girlfriend!"

May couldn't respond, and was saved by the sound of a door opening and closing just beyond them. From the doorway appeared Drew, not wanting to get involved in yet another girl problem Harley acquired. Kelly had only been gone for less than a week and already he'd found another girl to squabble with – and, coincidently, one Drew hung out with to get away from him. Oh, how the world goes round!

"Harley, for shit's sake, they're clothes," Drew pointed out.

"Oh? So now you're protecting this whore?" Harley almost shouted, nodding his head as he said it, like the whole world was against him.

Drew cocked an eyebrow, letting the other Demon know he was practically out of his mind. There were no words to be shared on that account. And Drew did not even say goodbye before he flew away with May back to their rooftop. Harley stood alone on the stoop with Cacturne feeling betrayed. He just couldn't have Drew to himself, could he?

…

"Who was that?" May asked Drew a few minutes after they had landed on the rooftop.

"Hm? Oh, that's Harley…he's another Demon," Drew told her, "He can be malicious when he wants to, but he can't fly at all, so he's basically a pushover."

May's eyebrows rose, "Another? How many of you are there?"

"Well, now only two – me and him; Kelly's dead," Drew muttered at the end.

"Oh," May murmured and then turned away from Drew and looked at the building across the street below.

He was only a Demon, but somehow May felt sorry for Drew – it was here she learned he did feel emotional pain, unlike what most of her elders had taught her.

"Are you angry?" May asked, turning back.

"Not enough to meet Wrath, if that's where you're going," he retorted.

He knew she was trying to change the subject.

"Oh…is that the sin where you freeze to death?" May asked, trying to be smart, but failing instantly.

At that very moment, Drew felt like smashing his head into the concrete. How could she be so dim?

"You're joking, right?" he asked seriously, "You're really kidding? Right about now you were planning to go "Oh, no, just kidding! That's Envy!" Right?"

May sat with her mouth agape, "Uh…no?"

"Then try it again," Drew ordered, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

"Where your stomach gets filled until you explode?"

"Gluttony."

"Over heating?"

"Lust! Yeah, this is a really good way to take your test; I encourage it, really," Drew said with such sarcasm, May huffed loudly to counter it.

"Listen! Only you are affected by this…why I need to know it is beyond me and I could care less!"

"Well, then you'd be shocked to find out you could be affected by each and every one of them…in fact, I'm deeply surprised many of the older members in your clan have not become broken out of Pride. It's the deadliest of all to its host and yet you Angels are the ones that commit it. It's almost comical..."

May looked at him, disgusted. Angels did not partake in that – it was the Demons that were punished for…for…

"That's not true!" May countered.

"You only think that because you're all raised a certain way so that you won't," Drew informed her.

That sounded believable, save for the part about how Angels could be diagnosed with such symptoms.

"Well," she tried to get the session over with, "What does Greed do?"

"Changing the subject?" Drew asked, curious of her motives.

After his inquisition, he figured it out.

"We don't have time to argue," she said, "now what does it do?"

"A stinging sensation," he answered a little more reserved, "Did somebody find you out?"

He wasn't necessarily concerned until she didn't look up and appeared quite uncomfortable about it. He figured that she felt ashamed of herself. In May's head, however, it wasn't necessarily true. She actually enjoyed learning about Demons when she was getting the facts from someone who would know best, and parting from it like she had planned was almost painful.

"No," she began, "No one found me out…And I don't want them to."

She stood up, without a glance at him, and spread her wings.

"Goodbye," she said, almost coldly, and flew off back to her home.

Drew watched her leave and cocked an eyebrow. She was different that day, very different. But she'd be back tomorrow, right?

When May arrived home, only Max was there and he didn't seem to notice she was late. He was merely watching the tube again and she could easily tell him she'd been in her room the entire time. Once in her room, her Pokemon greeted her, which put a smile on her face. No matter what she did, they'd always accept her.

…

It was the next day that May made a conscious decision not to go back to meet her Demon friend. The risks were high, and it just wasn't worth it. She accepted that for the rest of her life that all beings lied when it was convenient for them, and although that hurt her, it didn't cause much harm to anyone else at the present. She wasn't supposed to know of that underlying corruption anyway. So, she went about her day, trying her best to get back on track. She did this again the next day, all the while trying to flush the memories of Demons from her mind away, and it worked to some degree.

"Hey, May!" Ash greeted her in the hallway, "Haven't seen you around much."

"Yeah," May agreed, trying so desperately not to let the awkwardness of their eventual eternity together ruin their friendship, "I guess I've been busy…and grounded."

She sweat dropped at this and put on a nervous smile.

"Oh, that's a bummer," Ash told her, "Where you going next?"

"Choir," May told him, "It's one of the few classes I look forward to."

"Oh! I go right around there too," Ash said, "I guess we can walk there together."

"Yeah!" May agreed, "So anything new with you?"

Ash looked ahead and answered, "Not really, except your dad is constantly trying to talk to me and my mom is…very giddy."

May's eyes widened. Her father was paying more attention to Ash about the whole marriage ordeal? That was odd, but she guessed that was because she wasn't going to be the high priest – Ash was. She also came to the conclusion that that was more important, obviously. In due time, she'd merely become a carrier for the next high priest, and then her son would become center of attention.

"I'm sorry about that," May apologized for her father, "I know he can get excited about things…and I know it must take time away from training your Pokemon."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu grunted from Ash's shoulder.

"Got that right," Ash told her, "But it'll die down eventually."

"Of course it will, when there's bigger news!"

"What could be bigger?"

"I don't know, that's what's painful."

They chuckled at this. They made their departure when May found her classroom and Ash continued on ahead. The Angel opened the door to the choir room which was the grandest room in the school. It was very large in order to acquire the echo of voices that would exude from the throats of the Angels within. A stage was set up to the wall opposite the door and a set of stands was all the way on the far wall. The room was white and airy with a skylight overhead that could be opened to let nature in and their voices out.

"May!" the teacher called to her.

The Angel was young and had a calm aura about her, as did her voice. She was of darker complexion and had very short, black hair. She wore a dark maroon dress that had pretty, mysterious designs on it.

"Hello, Miss Treble," May greeted and put her books down on the nearest metal chair.

"It's your turn for your solo – are you ready?" Miss Treble asked with a warm smile.

"Yes!" May answered excitedly.

The teacher then nodded and marked May down to perform that day. May sat nervously in her seat, although she loved the class to bits.

…

Meanwhile, Drew waited on his rooftop as he did the day before. May had not come back and now he was bored. There was no sense in staying at home with Harley – there was more nothing there. So there he sat, watching the world go obliviously by. He then sat up from his slumped position. Kelly had always told him to have more fun, in which she meant, always take a chance and get into trouble. She'd be damn pleased to see him flying towards Angel property, nonetheless, the school. He knew May would be there at that hour. He just wanted to see what they did and perhaps he'd get a laugh out of what they were teaching.

He flew over the building and ever so slightly, he heard a singing voice. It was familiar somehow so he descended, thinking he might as well get a show while he was there. He landed quietly on the roof of a large section of the building and looked down. The voice had been familiar – it was May's! He watched closely as she skillfully and elegantly sang and performed across the stage. Every note was a masterpiece and he couldn't tear himself away from her. The piano fell weak to her Angelic voice that melted him inside in a way that he had never experienced before. She wasn't as useless and pathetic as he had been led to believe – under that clueless exterior was a skilled and very beautiful angel. He was very reluctant to hear her end off the song and bow to her peers, oblivious to his presence.

"Very good, May! A plus!" he heard the teacher clap.

The Demon then heard the school bell ring ending the period. He heard the rustling of anxious students inside and watched May disappear off her stage. He went to turn away when he heard her voice again, this time in unclear chatter. He bounded across the rooftops to the edge of the roof where the courtyard started. There he saw May walking with a boy whom had dark hair. Drew watched them walk closely and laugh with each other. He growled to himself at this, disapproving of it.

…

May's life was almost back to normal. She had buried her memories from the weekend before deep within the confines of her mind and concentrated on what really mattered. She sat in bed studying, only using her knowledge that Demons did so still exist to fuel her studying for the test she would take the next day. She read her notes silently until she heard a rustling out on her balcony. She sat listening, but the sound had only lasted but a second. The Angel got up slowly and walked to the exit cautiously. She opened the curtains and found nothing through the dark glass. The Angel then went the extra mile to open the doors, still slowly. Out on the balcony was nothing except a single rose being gently touched by the evening breezes. She picked it up, not believing it was real. The flower was beautiful, with its crimson petals and bumpy, green stem, but mysterious all the same. The giver was no where to be found, below or above, in the starry night sky. A small pink tint rose from her cheeks and she smiled. She didn't know who gave it to her, but he must have thought she was something special.


	7. Chapter 6

Chap 6

Even by week two of May's absence Drew still slumped on their roof like a loyal Growlithe waiting for his master to return. By now she had become a single lantern in a dark cave that led him to a better place. She had become a fantasy and something much more than she really was. He didn't really like it at first – there was a deep suffering lying in wait for him after the butterflies flew away and all the bubbles popped, he knew for sure. Jim had told him about it and who was he to go against the old man's words? Jim was what? One hundred, now? Compared to Drew's short 19 and half, the demon knew nothing.

He stretched his wings and then lay back with his body arched toward the roof limits, wings more or less sprawled out lazily, and head cushioned by the muscle in his arms. A soft breeze whispered past him in a ghostly way that reminded him of all that was lost. A sinking feeling overcame him as he felt the breeze go by, like everything else in the world thanks to Sloth, and he knew then he was utterly bored. Not bored enough to go back home and deal with Harley – the man had been dangerous that morning. It would be another night spent with Jack Lantern and his girls.

The sun was setting and it was yet another day gone by that Drew hadn't had the chance to speak with May. He wanted to so badly, but every time he saw her shadow crawl up the curtains inside, his instinct forced him to fly away from her balcony. By now she was just another Angel out to kill him. So he'd leave the rose and she'd be left to ponder who on Earth could be giving her all these flowers.

There was too much angst for Drew to think about – it even made him sick. There was no use admitting his own pathetic situation and the best way to get over it was to drink his way out of it. Alcohol used to solve a lot of problems in his earlier adolescence, and since his liver was immortal, he didn't have to pay for the services in the end…because there was no end to this emotional turmoil of a life.

When night fell and the glistening moon appeared from the horizon like a watchful god, Drew spread his wings for the blind world to see. No one would see – that's what he loved about the night. As he glided on cool streams of wind, he felt a natural connection. He was a creature of the night, evolved to take advantage of its every highlight. He went deeper into Darkie territory where the sidewalks were scarce, yet there was movement within the shadows. Apparitions, stray dead who had wandered from their inexperienced necromancer, and the new kings of the darkness - the vampires - roamed without the worry of a Demon snatching their meals or borrowed lives away. Drew had always dreamt of the times when Demons were the head-honchos of the nightlife and feared by all – even feared by Angels. But, sadly, Drew had never been able to live in those times – he was just the off-spring of them.

When he landed in front of Jack Lantern's bar, the lights were still on, as they always were. The bar was for any night-critter, even mortals who thought they could fit in. They were welcomed for good, bloody reasons and Drew never saw the same, daring mortal in the bar twice. When he pushed open the doors he could already hear that annoying purring coming from the cat-girl waitresses – he was their favorite and they hadn't seen him in a long time.

"Ohhhh, masseur!" they purred, obviously trying to get him into a sex-drive they never saw.

None of that big-breast, tight leather, and curved body stuff ever got his interest which was probably thanks to Sloth – the bloody sin had him well trained and careless. He pushed by the cat-girls and they turned around disappointed, as if they thought this time they'd get the Vamp to finally buckle down.

The place was lighted, yet it was still dark. The lightbulbs were as dim as the one that hung from its own wire above Drew's kitchen table. The floor was dark and bare – there weren't any tables except for the red booths that lined the walls all around the octagon. The only free chairs were the stools that were lined up at the bar ahead of him.

The Demon sat at the bar, wings hidden as he was passing off as a Vampire, and slumped, giving the bar tender the go-ahead to bring on the alcohol - whatever was in was good.

He downed his first shot and already the queen of the pussy-cats sat at the stool next to him. She was smaller in every aspect than him, giving him a sense of superiority. She had short, auburn hair that was straightened, and a vixen-like face, perfect for her job. Her eyes were wide with pointed pupils and yellow irises, just like a cat's. And, just like a cat, she had big, pointed ears. She had on tight leather which scrunched up her breasts so that it appeared as though they'd fall out of her shirt at any moment. Her legs were long and thin and a lengthy, black-furred tail swished back and forth behind her excitedly at the sight of the Vamp.

"Hey there, big boy," she said in a low, intoxicating voice.

Just that would get any male to swoon, but not Drew.

"What, Kitty?" Drew asked, extremely annoyed that she'd even dare walk up to him.

They'd had their squabbles in the past and it was damn obvious Drew never liked her, no matter how much Kelly might have. That didn't keep Kitty, away, however. Yes, she did enjoy the lesbian life, but she was one to set goals, and getting Drew to kneel before her in all her power over the bar as the lead prostitute was the biggest one. But Drew only saw her as a walking STD Kelly liked to play with and now that she was near, the Demon felt a wave of remorse for his lost friend wash over him like he hadn't wanted. He had tried to forget Kelly because her memory played the newer memory of May, and the darkened tunnel would then start to spiral. Another shot came his way and he downed it quicker than her next words.

"I was just wondering…where's Kelly?" she asked, sensing his hatred for her.

"She's dead," he told her flatly right after a swallow, the drinks setting in.

Kitty put her hands to her mouth in true shock. As much as Drew loathed her, he knew Kitty really did care about Kelly and her death would surely ruin her evening.

"I can't – how?" her words were messed up and her act was gone.

Drew thought on it as he downed the third drink, and said, "A damn werewolf."

He lied, mostly for himself on all different levels. He didn't want to say out loud he had killed her for emotional reasons but also for beneficial reasons. Kitty and Jack Lantern were partners at the bar, and if she didn't like a customer, for one reason or another, they wouldn't be allowed in and Drew needed the bar as a last resort. Being annoyed by Kitty was a hell of a lot better than hanging out on a roof-top all night because Harley felt like being an asshole.

Kitty sat quiet and looked at him, the first time being compassionate instead of lustful.

"You seem awfully quiet," she pointed out, "Is that bothering you?"

She was talking about Kelly's death, but that wasn't it. He didn't answer her and she looked down disappointed that she couldn't help the little she might have. There was a call from across the room at one of the tables. A few magicians were drunk and looking for a good show that Kitty could provide. Messed up inside, Kitty slipped from the stool, but stood in her spot for a second.

"If you ever need us, we're here," she assured and for the first time Drew felt he could trust her with something.

She walked away and completely ignored the drunks, ordering one of the other cat-girls to perform. Drew sighed and let the fourth shot sit on the polished wood he leaned on.

…

The Angel on Drew's mind, however, kept him neatly tucked away in the back of her mind. The whole ordeal was over and it was time to move forward to the fate that had been chosen for her. May had made a mental U-turn – she had come far in her teachings from Drew, realizing that the Angels were frauds and how things really worked. Now she had slowly eased backwards into blind acceptance. The Angel listened to her father intently, believed every word she heard in school, and basically went back to being the drone her generation was being trained to be. The only time she faintly remembered Drew was when she was in Demonology class. She no longer thought of him softly on her own.

Another rose appeared on her balcony yesterday and now another appeared. She picked it up and was still captivated by it as if it were the first. The mystery was exhilarating, but May felt bad. What would become of the young man when he found out she was already pre-taken?

…

Drew had spent the rest of the night at Jack Lantern's and the cat-girls were wise enough not to go near him. They were exceptionally hospitable, though, and offered him an empty booth as a sort of makeshift bed.

The next morning he headed home back to the warehouse where Harley waited for him in a fit of rage.

"Well?" he started calmly which indicated his temper had reached its peak.

"I'm nineteen, leave me alone!" Drew shouted at him, suffering from a slight hangover.

"No! I won't! Why were you not here?" Harley demanded like any good mother.

"Because I could, alright? I didn't need your bitching," Drew told him flatly.

Harley shut up at that – the voice sounded like Drew, but then again, it just wasn't.

Harley just ended it off there, "Well, whatever you're stressing about that you need to drink yourself out of, you better take care of it before you get sick."

"I don't get sick!"

"You know what I mean!"

And Harley was gone from the kitchen, leaving Drew to sort out his hidden problem on his own. From across the table, the Demon saw Roselia walk up to him, almost frightened to approach. The Pokemon held its floral hands to itself in a cautious manner.

"I'm not gonna snap at you," Drew eased her.

"Roseh," it answered and more casually approached.

Roselia was the nicest thing in the kitchen, giving it some real color against the grays and dark browns that engulfed the place. The two of them shared a bond that didn't need words – they looked at each other, sorting out the problem with a bored stare and a hopeful nod. Roselia knew of May and Drew's affiliation with her and his problem with her, though he hadn't yet been able to describe what it was, it was obvious to the rose-girl that communication between them needed to be reestablished. When Roselia knew, Drew knew, and that's where the roses had been born.

…

"C'mon," May begged.

She was in her pajamas sitting on the floor of her dark room. She was supposed to be in bed, but she really wanted to finally catch her mysterious rose-giver. The Angel desperately needed sleep, but she knew he came before she actually fell into dreamland. The excitement made her heart race and she tapped her foot to appease it. It was ten o'clock and as she went to give up, she heard the flutter of wings.

She lost a lot of time trying to get up and stand on her sleeping legs, but the Angel managed to stumble to the balcony just in time. However, her mystery man wanted to be caught.

Perched on the concrete border of her balcony sat a Demon with his wings fully out-stretched and he was just waiting for her to come out. May didn't scream, though, at least not in fear.

"Drew? You're the one giving me ro-" a delicate rose shut her up as it was shoved into her face.

"I'm surprised – you remember my name after ditching me for so long!" Drew exclaimed in shock.

His voice was hushed, but there was still a little bit of annoyance in it. May grabbed the rose from him as petals went flying from the stalk. She barely remembered the rose anymore as she went to properly scold Drew the best she could in whispers.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Your parents are dead asleep."

"That doesn't matter! If someone catches you we're both dead! Literally!"

Drew snickered in disbelief sending May into a huff.

"Sunilluma can do you in," May told him.

"Sunilluma can bite me."

May had no comment – exactly how Drew liked it. He shifted on his perch – he wasn't interested in staying long. May looked down at the concrete below her feet.

"Anyway, if you'd be quiet for two seconds, I can do what I needed to do and be out of here," Drew told her and went on, "I just wanted to know what the hell is going on. I'm not a mind-reader yanno, you could've told me you weren't coming back!"

She didn't answer.

"Why don't you come around anymore?"

"The test is over, Drew," she said to him in a cold tone of voice.

His eyes narrowed dangerously and almost hurt, but he wouldn't let May see that through their blazing irises.

"Oh, so you were using me?" Drew challenged in a sarcastic, way.

He didn't feel exactly betrayed – the Angels weren't as different from Demons as they hoped no matter how many generations they tried to "cleanse". He had been using her too as a means to vent, but that accidentally changed, so he couldn't really blame her. Of course, he could blame her for not giving him a clue – that was just bad planning.

"No…I," she stumbled over her words.

There was something else there that, unlike Drew, May had no experience in hiding and her eyes told it all – it wasn't the way she had wanted it to be. She had tried to suppress the need to go to that roof and learn of the dark corruption that now snoozed within the community, but…

"I just couldn't. It's too dangerous," she shook her head, "An Angel and a Demon…be friends? Who would've thought…"

"Well, maybe if you strayed from the herd a little, a change would occur and other Angels and Demons like us wouldn't have to answer to this stupidity your clan has conjured up!" Drew snapped.

He had gotten right into her face, and she backed up helpless and hopeless. She wasn't about to back down to him, however. Her expression changed to match his.

"Listen! I like life…no matter how corrupted it is – it's better than being dead," May told him earnestly.

Drew sighed, "Yeah, for you!"

"What? Are you bored without me?"

"Terribly! But it's not just that. I can't even walk in my clan's territory without looking over my damn shoulder. At least when I have someone around I can hang out on a rooftop without having to hide my wings. I wouldn't have let you catch me here if I didn't know you were experiencing the same shit."

"I'm not!"

"You are, you horrid liar! Don't tell me you weren't completely indulged in the crap I was ranting."

"I-" May started, but she couldn't deny it.

He had her so figured out.

"I really did want to go back," she admitted, "But I didn't want to die or see them spill your blood because of me."

"They won't," Drew said, "If we can play our cards right, that is."

"How?" May was interested.

Drew wanted to chuckle in victory – he really could read the Angel like a book. He didn't however and took a few seconds to make the plan sound right. It wasn't exactly fool proof, but it was so easy, a child could follow it and anyone could believe it. All May needed was a "friend" that she would go to meet – something that Drew could pose as should it ever come down to it.

"Tomorrow, after school, you're going to go to your mother with some news – you've made a new friend during your trip home from school, alone. You trip on the way and this guy sees you and helps you out…"

…

"He was so nice that he picked up all of my books!" May told her mother the next day.

The Angel felt a wave of excitement run through her that probably rampaged throughout any common criminal – it was getting away with the crime that was the true thrill.

Caroline was listening intently as she prepared a few side vegetables to the family's dinner that night at the stove.

"I've met him before," May went on, "On the way to grocery shopping in town a few weeks ago."

"Did you, now?"

"Yes – he pointed me in the right direction for a bunch of things I couldn't find. I've seen him around afterward and I think we're becoming friends."

"It's always good to hear how easily you acquire friends, May. What's this young man's name?" Caroline was sincerely interested in her daughter's day.

"Drew."

The parent and child barely saw much of each other, so they usually clicked well.

"I was wondering if I could meet up with him today, if that's okay with you, Mom," May asked.

Caroline took no time to think, "Of course, dear, just be back by dinner. I think that'll be around sun-down. Please don't be late."

"Of course, Mom!" May said, giving the woman a quick hug and then running out of the house in a hurry.

Caroline sighed to herself when she heard the front door close. She mentally hit herself for not asking May what her new friend did or how old he was, or anything else she should have. The Angel shook her head – she trusted her daughter a bit much, more than Norman, she knew, but there was no good reason not to.

…

May flew off to the rooftop she had once gone to daily those few weeks ago. As she flew, the Angel remembered that she had forgotten to give details about her "new friend", but dismissed it when she figured it would be asked of her when she returned at the dinner table. It would be better that the young Angel tell the entire family at once – that way the story had no room to change.

Drew was waiting at the apartment roof. He hadn't been sure last night if May would go through with it or not, but hanging out on top of the building was all he could do anyway. It was just a suggestion and if she didn't go through with it that day, he would have stopped all longing for her. There would not have been any reason to go on – so he wasn't being pushy; he was just giving it one more chance.

He had slept the day out having his black wings catch the sun – he was almost cocky about it. The day went fast, considering he was looking forward to the afternoon. He heard the flutter of feathered-wings beside him soon enough, and, opening his eyes, looked into the face of the sun.


	8. Chapter 7

Chap 7

As the sun set off to its home underneath the horizon covers, so did May. She said goodbye to Drew and took off toward her home in the Lightie territory. As the Angel flew home, she thought about the past few weeks. How slow they had gone by and how uneventful they had been! Now that Drew had reinstalled himself back into her life, things seemed to be so much easier on her, perhaps because he made her realize how much more turbulent his own life was compared to hers.

She saw the gray shingles of a city-house up ahead and ducked down to the sidewalk where she hid her wings. No one was outside at the moment. Dusk was approaching, and all mortals were safely inside a restaurant or their own homes while Darkies were just freshening up for the new night. The Angel slowly walked up to her house and turned the unlocked knob to her front door.

Pushing it open, she cried, "I'm home. I think I made it just in time!"

"Yes!" she heard her mother call from the kitchen up ahead. "Wash up and come to the table!"

Despite the saying, no one ever washed up before dinner in that house. May followed that small tradition by entering the kitchen and sitting down at her place up against the wall facing her mother's chair. Max and her father sat at the two heads of the wood and glass-covered table, as men should. Upon the table was a spread that looked similar to what one might see at a Thanksgiving. There was a cooked Pidgey at the center with Pecha-berry jelly to the right, and other vegetables in her mother's lavish china about the rest of the spread.

May could just hear Drew's voice in her head – "What's the occasion?"

The Angel smiled and giggled to herself, though no one else could hear it. Her mother sat down across from her and smiled at her husband whom brought his hands to his chin for prayer. May usually listened to what her father said during mealtime prayer, but she didn't this time. His voice almost seemed unenthusiastic, as if he expected this feast to be presented to him and he thanked God for it as a side note. May thought about this. Why thank Him when He didn't bless half of the city with this sort of feast?

"Amen!"

The young Angel heard her family say in unison. Her voice wasn't present and they all realized this. They turned their heads toward her direction in confusion.

"Amen!" she jumped. "Sorry, I think I started to daydream. It won't happen again, Father!"

Her voice was urgent. Usually supper's prayer was the only sort of prayer she heard beside her own. May looked down at the table in shame, though her face masked what little shame had actually welt up in her soul with an exaggeration.

"Something on your mind, May?" her father asked, prying.

May paused at this, knowing he was upset with her deep down and was now trying to expel some demon he thought now existed in her. He had done it before with Max, and herself as well, but nevertheless, May always thought he had good intention in it – except now of course.

"Not really…" she murmured, trying to take the subject off her.

The problem persisted, however.

"She's probably thinking about her new friend!" Max blurted.

"Max!"

May allowed her voice to reach a humiliated pitch, which she followed up with a devastated sinking in her chair. The young Angel elevated the situation, and found that her highly experienced-in-eavesdropping brother must have overheard her conversation with their mother earlier that afternoon. She did her best to straighten up – make it look like it wasn't that big a deal.

"Max, honey," Caroline said sternly with an equally stern look on her face. "It's not polite to answer someone else's question."

The older Angel shook her head in disapproval. Norman, on the other hand, became quite interested and folded his hands on the table, facing May. He was getting ready to scrutinize her – he wanted a full autopsy of her soul.

"New friend?" he inquired, expecting her to fill in the details.

A wave of terror rushed through her as she collected her words as quickly as possible.

"Y-yes, I made a new friend recently," the young Angel informed him. "I told Mom of him – he's a, a Dark Magician. His name is Drew and he's a couple years older than me. He-"

Norman didn't let her continue and he said in an averse tone, "Dark Magician? They're accepted as Darks, you know."

"Nevertheless, the profession is still considered of the Mortal class," Caroline jumped in, protecting her daughter.

"It sounds like a romantic intention to me," Norman murmured to Caroline, yet it was loud enough for May to catch.

This stirred an unknown feeling in May's chest. It was that word "romance" and that it was being associated with Drew. She didn't quite know how she felt about it, however, though she sensed her face becoming warm. She swallowed and pushed back any doubt or soft thoughts on the assumption.

"He's just a friend and nothing more," May claimed quickly.

There was a drawn out pause May didn't like the sound of – it was as if her father didn't believe a word of it and knew then that Drew was the Demon he rightfully was.

Norman sat, though, without hostility as he now realized he was causing his daughter great discomfort. He had no prior reason to know her false and so let the conversation die there. He had almost changed his personality completely as he put on a smile and resurrected the conversation into something more suitable.

"When will we be able to meet him?" Norman asked kindly. "We've met all of your other friends."

He had begun to scoop peas into his plate; signaling to the rest of the family is was all right to start digging in. His tone was no longer mining in May's soul for truth – it was quite casual, as if he were an acquaintance of hers while still maintaining a father-like figurehead upon it. May relaxed a bit and answered a little more evenly.

"Whenever you want," she said, keeping her eyes on him like she was expected to do.

"Then how does tomorrow stand?" he asked nonchalantly.

Caroline looked at her husband in disapproval, but did not show it in her tones. Her glare was only temporary.

"Most people require a day or two to make a good impression. You expect so much of them!" she informed him, but he waved her away.

"I don't expect anything. I expect a mortal and nothing less – have him walk you home or something, May, he doesn't have to come in for a sit-down."

"That shouldn't be a problem," May created a small, counterfeit smile upon her lips, to show nothing was wrong.

All in all, she knew for sure, of the two of them, she'd be the nervous one. Drew knew how to act and hide; he did it all his life, why should this be any different?

With the conversation was killed by May's closure and the silence that followed, the family continued on with their meal. They didn't speak again – not of the day's tribulations, not of the night's plans. As the young Angel chewed silently, she couldn't help but feel a sense of tense heat coming from her father, like another presence that was sitting there and watching her with knowing eyes. It knew she had lied. It knew everything. She pretended that it was nothing, though, and did not notice this ghost for the rest of the night to save her own sanity.

…

The next day went by incredibly slowly, and May watched the clock until the last school bell rang. The Angel went through the halls, fast and unnoticed as the faces of her peers became blurred together. There wasn't any real rush, but that didn't slow her. She had been thinking about what her father had said last night and what she was supposed to do; that was to bring Drew home for five measly minutes. The thought made her sick, though. Her father was good at reading people and always put them through a stark and secret test in his own mind. Would he, perhaps, be able to read right through Drew? And then what would become of him? Would her father attempt to slay him upon their stoop?

The city below was quiet on such an early afternoon and May flew over them undetected. Her mind whirled with scenes she figured would ensue the minute Drew stepped foot onto Lightie territory. There was no choice though. Whether she thought chaos would break loose or not, she had to at least give it a try. Her wings flapped up and down, propelling her through the air – she did not rely on the winds to carry her in a glide – she needed to see Drew urgently.

She rounded her flight as she descended towards the rooftop, seeing Drew already sitting there looking out to the city, frozen, acting like a gargoyle. It was surprising that his large size (for a gargoyle) did not peak any interest in the pedestrians below. He did not seem to notice her as she landed, though – either that or he wasn't acknowledging her with a turn of his head.

"Drew!" May's voice burst from her throat due to her being out of breath.

"May," Drew followed up the greeting.

"No…I…have," she was gasping for breath.

Her wings lay limp to her sides and her chest heaved with every breath that did not appease her tired heart. She took a second to catch enough breaths to allow her speech, but it took longer than she had wanted. Drew now acknowledged her, turning his interest to the Angel, quizzically. He cocked an eyebrow and watched as she breathed heavily with her knees folded beneath her and her hands holding her up from the concrete.

"You look like the cops are after you for murder," he observed.

"Well, I…wanted to get here…as quickly…as…possible," May answered with enough breath for a meek, interrupted voice.

"Something up?" he asked, not trusting May's stance.

"No, but…" she paused, damning her aching muscles.

The pause lasted between them for quite some time. Drew got up from his perch and walked slowly up to her, though did not get very close. He looked at her with a decrease in his uneasiness of the way she had arrived. What was more interesting now was the intoxicating sound of her heavy breathing – it reminded him of the few moments before his fangs penetrated a victim, or was it something else?

"My father wants to meet you," May finally said.

The thoughts were gone from Drew's brain – instead new thoughts of actually going to her house purged into his mind. Though he couldn't care less about Angels and their preferences, a level of nervousness rose and then fell in his chest.

"Really, now," Drew said, becoming interested with the idea as the seconds ticked by.

"Yes…but not for long so we're in luck," May said with a cheerful smile.

Drew paused for a bit, waiting for her to give more urgent news, but there was nothing. She did not speak again and waited for his reply.

"So…you flew here really fast just to tell me that?" Drew asked, his brow furrowing in misunderstanding.

"Yes…well," it was then May realized it was less urgent than she had felt. "I just needed to get it out of my head. It's stressful!"

There was a no pause between May's last statement and Drew's next comment.

"You're a very poor flyer," Drew mentioned with a calm and cool tone that didn't agree with his outward, offensive statement.

"What?" May shouted, successfully offended. "How can you even tell?"

"If you were flying as fast as you possibly could, then you just don't fly fast – you're out of shape," Drew told her. "Your school lets out the same time everyday and you arrive here around the same time everyday. If today you were flying faster than usual, then you should have gotten here in half the time…but you didn't."

May growled, "Who comes up with those statistics? And how can you even tell time without a watch?"

"When one can't afford a clock, one reads the sun," Drew told her.

Still angry, May formulated a come back to his aspersions.

"What would you need to tell time for, anyway? You have no obligations or a job to get to."

"Well, I need to know when these restaurants go out for lunch so that I can get lunch," Drew told her nonchalantly. "I can't see all the way down the street, ya know."

May shook her head. Like Drew wouldn't have a reason for doing something. She looked down at the street in anger of his remark. Flying was a great pride amongst Angels and May never thought she was bad at it, not that she thought she was incredible. Within this conversation, the nervousness of the evening had been buried and lost.

"I'm guessing that means you're a great flyer?" she challenged.

"Yep," he answered without much thought on it.

"Well…we'll need to see someday," May said.

"Why not today?"

"My wings hurt right now!"

"…Yeah, that's not pathetic."

May sighed and looked back to the building sitting opposite them. The sun had begun its journey down the sky like a heavy, yellow paint drop. It began to spread its color along the glass panes of the buildings. The silence between the fiend and the sprite was not awkward in the slightest. May's mind was too clouded to concentrate on Earthly discomfitures. The thoughts of seeing her father with Drew that evening came back to her like a slap in the face during this silence. She looked down, focusing at the limits in front of her.

"What's up with you?" Drew asked, sensing her uneasiness.

"Will you be able to pull this off? You have to be a mortal," May told him.

He cocked an eyebrow.

"It's not really that hard," Drew said.

He then got up from his sitting position and stood before May. She looked up as he folded his wings into his back, hiding them from preying eyes. He then shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"Good afternoon, to you. Aw, don't you look cute with them little wings of yours. Gettin' ready for All Hollow's Eve, I see," Drew acted.

May laughed at the truth in his presentation. It felt as though a weight was lifted and her spirit brightened.

"It's damn funny," Drew agreed. "I'm guessing your family will all be hiding their wings too?"

"Yes, I suppose if you'll be posing as a mortal, we will too," May nodded.

She breathed easier now.

"So…" Drew started, "Wanna race now?"

"You just want to show me up!" May shouted, becoming angry again. "You just won't stop!"

"C'mon, it's just a little race. I wanna see how fast you are. Maybe, just maybe, you got out later than you thought," Drew gave her false confidence.

May sighed. There wasn't much else to do, so why not? Yet again was the thought of the evening event pushed out of her mind. Perhaps Drew was doing it on purpose to make her feel better or maybe he was childishly trying to show off? It could have been both and May accepted both reasons to be the truth, the latter more so.

"Fine – I'm feeling better now I guess," May said and got up from her sitting position. "Where are we racing to?"

She folded her arms, ready to get it over with. Though her confidence in her own flying skills had been disabused, she still figured it would be fun. She had never raced before flying-wise against her peers, so who was any Angel to say they were good at the sport of self-aviation?

"To the end of the Lightie territory – the lighthouse, I guess," Drew said and looked to the East.

May followed his gaze in that direction, looking down the street and past the Horizon Line. Much further down what seemed to be a small, rust-colored pin in the distance stuck straight up on a far off cliff. That was the lighthouse. May bit her bottom lip. If she couldn't handle the distance of her school to their meeting place, how was she supposed to double it and win? She didn't tell Drew of her doubts – he looked so ready to show off whatever speed he possessed. May didn't buy it though. Though his body was stream-lined, his wings looked too bulky to beat fast enough.

"Ready?"

"Set!"

There was no time for "go" as both cheaters made a dash for it. They kept the same speed as they raced through the air. Buildings to their sides blurred into one building, it seemed. The Horizon Line sped towards them and then vanished in the distance behind the flying entities. May looked at Drew to check how she was doing. For every five beats of her wings, May realized Drew only took one, strong stroke of his own wings. Was he showing off?

"You're as slow as I am!" May laughed at him.

"I am?" Drew asked. "I didn't really want to leave you behind, but I guess if you really want me to fly at top speed…"

He seemed to pause for a second as he arched his wings at ninety degree angles with his back. He then powerfully pushed them down against the wind holding him up and thrust forward. The distance between them steadily increased. She made a note that, even with the increase in speed, his wings were still not flapping as fast as hers, and he seemed to be relaxed as she began gasping for breath. He was so fast, the figures below took no notice of him – he was a trick of the light.

Drew kept an eye on May. The buildings around them became taller; reaching for the sky like a baby would for an unobtainable toy. He watched May follow him as they rose in altitude. Cars and people below seemed to be reduced to sand grains. He turned and hovered, waiting for May to catch up. She didn't join him however, and landed on a tall edifice beside him. This building was older than most of the modern, glass ones around it, and it sported a rusty, brick color. The Angel's landing was clumsy and she looked the same way she had greeted him – completely out of breath. Drew, figuring the game now over, landed smoothly beside her, but did it while silently gloating. May glared at him.

"No…need to say…anything," she breathed. "I…can hear your thoughts."

"Can you now?" he asked sarcastically.

She growled a bit. The realizations that he was better at flying made her blood boil. She caught her breath again after a few moments.

"I don't get it! How do you fly so fast with such heavy wings?" she shouted.

Drew shook his head, "So you did underestimate me."

"I did."

"You don't take any science in your school, do you?"

"Oh, be quiet! Of course I do!"

"Then you don't pay attention. Either that or it's "Bible approved"."

May couldn't lie at this and stayed quiet. He laughed annoyingly at her and then went on to explain.

"The larger the wings, the less you have to flap. Instead, you take one flap to propel and the rest to glide on the air current you've made for yourself. Larger wings hold up better because they trap a lot more air than those who have smaller wings. So…I never expected you to go as fast as I can."

"Why you…arrogant jerk!" May yelled, her breath caught up and ready to use.

She flailed angrily, but the only satisfaction she got was an indifferent stare and a chuckle from Drew.

"I am so gonna push you off this building!" she threatened.

"Woah, calm down there, little girl," Drew said, highly amused.

That's what she was – pure amusement on all different levels.

"You don't actually tell people what you're going to do," Drew said. "Well, unless it's an empty threat."

That was the last straw. May lunged at him in blind fury, shoving him off the side. What she didn't know, was that he also had a plan, too. Without her knowing he had grabbed her wrist and pulled her down with him over the side. They both faced the pavement that seemed no thicker than a hair below, their feet reaching for the sky with no avail. Time had slowed and the sound of busy streets beneath the teens quieted. May felt as though she were suspended in mid-air - though the ground was becoming larger and more detailed as she descended. A burst of feeling rushed into her chest and then her throat, which brought her back to reality. She was falling to her death!

May looked over at Drew. He didn't seem very concerned that the ground would be their last Earthly greeter. He seemed to be in a blithe laxness as the wind combed through his hair and whispered past his wings.

"Drew! We're falling! Wake up!" May shouted.

"I'm awake," he called over to her. "What are you so worried about? You can pull up, right?"

"No!" May admitted, an expression of dread had washed over her face.

"Well, that's not good," Drew called to her, as if she couldn't figure that out herself. "Grab my hand."

He held out his arm for her to latch onto and without any hesitation, she did so. He dragged her toward him quickly and clutched her tightly against him. Spreading his wings, he captured the wind and flapped his wings multiple times to soften what looked to be a landing, but that wasn't the case. Thirty feet from the ground, Drew pushed and defied gravity with the beat of his large sails. Soon enough he had rose in altitude and was flying horizontally, with May beneath him in his arms. Gravity had been defeated by a Demon who refused to fall.

The Angel breathed a sigh of relief as the ground below got smaller again as Drew ascended further. Neither one of them had let go of the other, even when it was safe for May to fly on her own. May soon noticed this, and blushed secretly to herself, hiding it in the Demon's long, coat collar. His arms were crossed under her back, supporting her, and feeling this caused a sense of comfort reign supreme in her mind.

Everything seemed quiet again, all but the whispering wind that rustled their clothing. Bright, yellow sunbeams from the retiring sun set golden fingers across everything that could be reached. The sky was now a thin paper, damp with bright red and pink watercolors, mixing and draining down to the horizon tray. The zenith was as clear as it had ever been, now spreading the dark blues and purples that would accompany the moon in the night.

"Should I go right to your house?" Drew asked, his voice vibrating above May's crown.

She jumped, startled by his voice that overpowered the quiet snicker of the breeze. She didn't know what to say at first, but eventually her voice came back to her, though her mind never really left the soft place it had ventured to under the Demon's chin.

"Do you know the way?" she said, almost exhausted.

Drew laughed at her.

"Oh, be quiet and just go," May told him.

All she really wanted to do was fall asleep right then and there – so protected, so comfortable…

…

Drew landed a few houses down from May's home. The block was scarce of life – all the Angels were probably at their tables for supper, so it was only perfect timing. Landing on their feet, they quickly separated, feeling bashful. It was then that they attempted to get ready for the five minutes they'd spend awkwardly in front of May's father. The two of them folded their wings into their backs and presented themselves to the other, just to make sure everything was in place.

"Wait, how am I gonna explain the holes in my clothes for my wings?" Drew asked, the problem only dawning on him then.

"If we don't have to explain, you don't have to explain," May told him, thinking of the answer quickly. "Think on your feet."

She straightened out her clothes and then began to walk towards her home. They were late, which already lost Drew points with her parents. Terrific.

"So, what's the plan again?" May asked, trying to coordinate a well enough story.

"Tell me what you told them, and I'll say that too," Drew told her.

He wasn't nervous, but he was a bit anxious. He didn't think they'd actually catch that he was a Demon – more like they'd ask a question and his answer would not match up with whatever May had told them.

"I was very loose," May informed him. "I told them you were a Dark Magician, you were a few years older than me, your name is still Drew, and we met while I was grocery shopping in town a few weeks ago."

"Alright…that sounds close to the truth," Drew observed.

"Well, I did that on purpose," May told him.

"Wow, you're actually thinking ahead?"

May grumbled, "If you don't stop it right now, I'm letting the entire neighborhood know you're a…you know what!"

"Don't let that bite you in the ass like the last threat did."

"That did not turn around on me."

May folded her arms and stuck her nose in the air, signaling that she was done with the conversation. Drew shook his head. There were going to be plenty more times to torment her later.

They were in front of May's house now, which was actually quite small for what is normally thought of when one hears the word "house". It was a white, slender building – like all of the other homes along the street – with a small front yard, smaller side yards, and a pointed roof, as seen in child drawings. This roof had gray shingles and the white siding was a multitude of panels interrupted by the gorgeous, glass front door, the few steps to get to that door, and two windows on either side that were outlined in black. There was a light on in the house, and May knew the family was already sitting for dinner.

She unlocked and pushed the iron gate protecting the grassy front yard open. Despite the royal and Angelic look of the house, this gate was menacing. It was a dark iron with pointed barbs, like those seen around graveyards. The Angel walked through the opening without much thought on it, but as Drew passed through the entrance, he felt a familiar wave of mysterious energy pass over him. He shook it from his mind as he followed May up her steps and to the door – that feeling could have just been his anxiousness.

May tried the door handle by pressing down the tab above the golden handle. Though it successfully slipped down to the order of her thumb, the door did not open to her push. May rang the doorbell, the chime ringing inside the dwelling halls. Through the elaborate glass, May and Drew saw a figure walking toward the door, then stop and stand to wait for the rest of the family inside to join it. The figure then opened the door to reveal May's mother. Caroline put on a wide, welcoming, and above all, unknowing smile.

She opened the door wider to reveal the entire family, which, to May's dismay, included Ash and his mother. Caroline must have asked Delia to join them – but why did it have to be that night?

"You must be Drew!" Caroline greeted the Demon.

He noted that they were all hiding their wings. Behind May's mother stood a larger, older Angel the Demon noted as May's father, and another female Angel that he guessed was a neighbor or something. There were two boys sitting on the stairs behind all of the others – a smaller one and another around May's age, whom Drew recognized immediately. He felt a sense of hatred well up and then die within him as he tried to concentrate on what had to be done. He didn't pause for a second.

"Yeah, I just figured I ought to walk May home just in case we were late," he said, falsely apologetic, that only May noticed.

"We've been anxious to meet you," Norman started, as he approached Drew.

The old Angel held out a hand for Drew to shake, and like any mortal, Drew took it forcefully and determined. Norman seemed pleased by his strong grip, but did not say anything about it.

"Have you? I didn't mean to be a mystery," Drew told him.

May smiled, keeping in a giggle. Drew was a fine actor and magician, apparently – he had effectively cast a blinding spell upon them all.

"We're just glad to finally meet you," Caroline said happily.

"Yes, good to meet you too," Drew said, feeling the awkwardness rush back to him. "I wish I could stay longer, but my guardian's waiting for me. He doesn't like me being late."

"Oh! Then don't let us hold you up," Caroline said, so obliviously.

She stepped out of the doorway to let May inside. Drew waved goodbye as Caroline set him off and closed the door simultaneously with his reaching the paved path toward the gate below the steps. When the entrance was finally locked, the Angels inside unfolded their wings in relief.

"Well, he seemed like a very nice guy," Caroline told of her observations.

"Yeah, I didn't know Darkies could be so nice," Max put in his two sense.

May looked at him cross, thinking he was poking fun at her. With one, brief take, however, she found he was not joking. His facial expression was tense and all-knowing. Of course, no one else noticed this, and their mother scolded him for making such a rude remark about the kind, young fellow.

…

Outside, Drew paused looking to the house and then turned away. The wind howled now, welcoming the night that had fallen as he had stood upon that stoop lying and faking. He pulled open the iron gate and it squeaked earnestly, as if shouting "Deeeemons! Deeeemons!" He hated the word.

Walking past the property boundary with indifference, he felt that wave of energy again, this time it was receipting. It then came to Drew, a feeling of mass depression. He did not want to leave May – he didn't want to leave her there. That dark gate, it was shouting a cry for Demons that had just stood before him.


	9. Chapter 8

Chap 8

May sat in her room that night, staring at her wall. There was nothing constructive to do and it wasn't as if she wanted anything to do anyway. She thought about what had happened only a few hours before, and breathed many sighs of relief since then. However, one thought still plagued her. Max – he seemed to have figured something out like the ace detective he was, seemed to have her wrapped around his finger. Of course, there had been something odd about it. He didn't seem judgmental, but still disappointed. He had also acted most out of character! Should he have figured them out, he would have caused a riot, would've made a scene! Perhaps he was saving her or maybe he wasn't completely sure. If the latter were true, then May now sulked as she could only imagine the terrified look she must have given him then, if for only a second.

"May? Can I come in?" Max asked from behind her closed door.

May bit her bottom lip nervously. She took a deep breath and hoped to God himself the latter thought was true.

"Sure," May squeaked.

She swallowed. If what she wanted to believe was true actually was the truth, then she should sound more innocent. She smiled welcomingly as he pushed past her door and looked up at her.

"May, I need to talk to you…about your…friend," Max began.

He looked uneasy and this gave May hope.

"I think," Max went on. "I'm pretty sure he's more of a Darkie than you let on."

"What makes you say that, Max?" May said, trying to keep the shakiness out of her voice.

"It's just, well, he seemed convincing, but I still can't put my finger on it."

"Don't worry about it! He-"

"No, May, I'm gonna worry about it! You're not that great at judging people! He could be some sort of Darkie – a weird vampire…or…a Demon."

Max had whispered his last statement. May gasped and then covered her mouth nervously, knowing her gasp would give the secret away. She knew her brother would suspect something so she played it out to mean something completely different.

"Max! How could you say such a thing? He's so nice and you'd say that about him! Really, I can't believe you!"

"Just watch out, is all I'm saying! It's not like he goes to our school! Even if he is a mortal…mortals can be just as disgusting and dangerous as any Darkie!"

May shook her head in rage. Max had a suspicion and it was all that was needed to make May feel like a stranger in her own home. However, Max hadn't placed any blame on her, though he was inadvertently putting her down, she wasn't in trouble yet.

May didn't say anything else and for a few moments Max stood in the middle of her room eyeing her, trying desperately to claw out the secrets she kept hidden away in that soul of hers. May feared her brother was becoming more like their father with every passing second until he left her alone to think about what he had said. His words did not seem strong, but they had made the impact Max had wanted them to. Somehow, underneath those words was suspicion and blame on her too. But, wasn't she imagining that? Could it only be the guilt inside her that made her think this way?

May swallowed again. She wanted nothing more than to escape her little room and fly away and be with Drew. Things would be better. Things would be easier.

…

Drew walked into the abandoned warehouse he called home that same night. It was musty, dark, and mostly uninviting, but he treaded onward anyway. Harley was waiting for him in the kitchen with his hands folded neatly in front of him on the old table. Drew grumbled under his breath, trying to hold it back though, so as for it not to become a deadly snarl. He was chewing on nothing in bitterness and the last thing he needed at that moment was for Harley to pull some shit about how he was late. The older Demon did no such thing, though, being able to read the younger Demon's expression full of resentment. Drew sat across from Harley and stared at him, waiting for the purple-haired fiend to say something. It could have been anything to get his mind off the previous events at May's home.

Unfortunately, the only thing the older Demon could think of was to ask the painful question.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Dammit, Harley, doesn't it look like I don't want to talk about it?"

"Can't blame me for being curious, doll. C'mon! Tell me what's going on."

Drew glared at him with searing, green eyes – at any moment, they could have turned red. Drew grumbled again, this time letting it become a deep growl that vibrated in his chest.

"He was in her house," Drew answered, his voice scratchy.

Harley perked up.

"Wha? Who was in what house?"

Drew didn't answer – anything else would have thrown him off the edge, he knew it. There was a strange anger that boiled at the bases of his limbs – Wrath. He held it back though – it was not worth it, especially when there was nothing to do about it.

"There, there, hun," Harley started. "Whatever it is, you can bet it's not what it seems."

Drew knew that, but still felt Wrath tingling. It wasn't that there was truth in what he thought, he just didn't like the thought – it made him sick.

"Harley, if you bother me tonight, I might kill you…and you're not worth it, so don't do it. I don't need your help, whatever you were thinking."

Drew then got up and went to his room past the kitchen area. The older Demon was left by the table alone and he slumped, his plans ruined by threats of death.

…

In the morning, the clouds rolled in. A gray overcast had covered the city, blocking out the sun's golden rays, threatening rain. This didn't stop May as she fluttered over to the roof top that afternoon. As scary as last night had been, she felt nothing could stop her from seeing Drew again. She just had to, even if it meant getting drenched in a downpour. When she arrived, the Angel found Drew sitting up against the small hut that had been built to cover the staircase below and provide a door to anyone below who wanted to be on the roof. The Demon seemed to be looking down at the concrete beneath him, oblivious to May's landing.

"Drew?" May asked as she approached him.

He looked up at her with sleepy eyes. He grumbled and then put his gaze back where it was. May was concerned about this, and took a seat where she stood.

"Something wrong?" she asked, though, even she knew it wasn't the best thing to inquire.

"I just didn't get any sleep last night," Drew told her.

He didn't tell her the reason right off, though. Harley had actually said something intelligent – it probably wasn't the way it seemed. Of course, whether there was harm in asking or not, he had to know exactly who this other Angel was once and for all.

"You didn't tell me you had such a big family," Drew started off casually. "Who was that other woman – your aunt?"

"No, she's a family friend," May told him. "I didn't know they were going to be there either."

"Who were those two other kids?"

"The one with the glasses is my brother, Max. The other one is Ash."

So, his name was Ash.

"What's he to you?" Drew pried.

May looked at him for a moment, trying to read what sort of interest he had in the Angel, but Drew was a master of disguise. He only seemed moderately interested, for the sake of the conversation. Underneath and unbeknownst to May, however, Drew wanted to know everything desperately, just to relieve himself or find a reason to relieve himself.

"He's…just a friend," May told him.

It was the truth, somewhat. However, May's pause made it clear to Drew that there was something more going on than she let on. He narrowed his eyes, but she didn't meet them as she could just feel them pinning her down.

"What is he really?" Drew asked, being as serious as he could – no funny stuff.

May let out a sigh. How was she going to break to him? How could she break it to herself?

"I know it sounds weird but, he's…also my fiancé. It's some ritual my clan goes through every time our High Priest has to step down."

Drew sat quiet next to her, but inside he was yelling. It was worse than he had thought and his insides felt as though they would boil and shrivel up against his searing anger and, admittedly, his jealousy. The Demon sat, though, containing all this under a solemn, bored expression, like it didn't really matter to him.

May still hadn't made eye contact. She fought with herself, battling the idea of telling Drew how she really felt about the whole ordeal and then go straight into how he was a factor in her distaste for the ceremony. Of course, that would lead to a confession she had not sincerely acknowledged. Would the distaste alone lead Drew to make a snide comment about her clan? She still honored tradition, but perhaps not when it juggled her life and decisions. She decided to be "merely content" with it in front of Drew – it was a good route, wasn't it?

"It's…fine, I guess," May started, being casual and uncaring. "We are friends, so we'll get along! He's a good choice, I think."

"What does all that have to do with you anyway? Can't they just pick a priest?"

"Usually, the first born child of the previous priest becomes the next one, but when the first born is a girl, a strong, suitable husband is chosen for her. That's my situation."

Drew tilted his head in confusion. To himself he admitted Kelly could not have picked a better candidate to try and kill that night she had gone to Wrath. May went on.

"I know I have a brother…but the tradition says that it must be the first child, for he or she has the most power of the previous priest infused within them."

"What, are you related to Jesus?" Drew asked snidely.

May's brow furrowed at the comment.

"No. The first priest was believed to be an angel that was very close to God, so we like to carry that on in our leader. Of course, they don't believe a girl can be priest, so they pick the most able of the boys in the age group to be her husband."

Drew folded his arms and chuckled, "Sounds like selective breeding to me. You know they do that to Miltank, right?"

"Ya know, Drew, you're just rude sometimes! Can't you be happy for me?"

Drew became serious again at her question. He looked out to the building opposite their building and for a long while he didn't answer. How could he answer without asking her to forget that crap and be with him instead? Figuring out his feelings was easy – he was so in tune with his selfish, and apparently, demonic desires and interests. The hard part was getting everything to happen the way he wanted it to. Of course, he also learned the world doesn't work that way until you step on toes, and he knew just whose innocent toes he'd stomp on.

"Well, I have to go," May said, feeling a bit uneasy with Drew being so silent.

The sun had not yet made an appearance, and May decided that leaving early might save her from being late. She looked back at Drew once more.

"I'm going to be late tomorrow," she said, but didn't give a reason, seeing as Drew wasn't really paying attention anyway.

He was being awfully weird, she noticed, but she did not compute it to be anything significant. The Angel said goodbye and as the Demon looked up to see her off, she spread her wings and flew away like the difficult bird she was.

The Demon was left alone on the rooftop to ponder his situation. The only things on his mind were violent as Wrath tried to take over. Too bad for the sin the Demon had a clear plan in mind, and so it melted away. Drew didn't need a sin to be violent.

…

Drew had heard May yesterday – she wasn't going to meet up with him. He took this opportunity to stretch his legs. Hiding his wings, he strolled down streets and passed people by. He had no plan, he just wandered with the afternoon sun smacking him down for wearing black.

The pavement was bustling – every one seemed to be out and had something to do – they would not even notice if a dragon decided to fly overhead. Drew knew this was superlative timing for what he was planning, now if only the prey fell into place. May couldn't be the only Angel allowed to roam the streets after school. His green eyes flashed with excitement – he had never hunted something that could put up a fight, not that he didn't think he could overwhelm them, it just wasn't worth it for food purposes. However, this was different, this wasn't for storing blood, this was to test the waters and live on the edge, somewhat in memory of Kelly, in another sense to relieve himself, let him find out he was better than the "strongest and most able" Angel in May's age group. It would be a great ego booster, he thought.

Up ahead he saw his catch – a tall, dark-haired Angel with a Pikachu latched to his shoulder. Ash was walking in the opposite direction as Drew, having a conversation with the electric rodent and alone as far as buddies go. The Angel was hiding his wings, just as Drew was, and as they passed each other, the Angel stopped for a brief moment. Sensing this, Drew smirked, knowing the fish had seen the bait, and continued to walk on as if he hadn't recognized Ash.

"Hey, Drew!" the Angel called and spun around to catch up to him.

Like an excited child, the Angel got up into his face, as if happy to see an old friend. Drew tried not to show his disgust for such assumptions – how dare he assume friendship when they only knew each other's names! The two of them stood between two buildings where a dark, empty alleyway split them and seemed to put a divider between the two entities as they faced each other.

"Oh, you're May's little friend, right? From…two nights ago," Drew said, pretending to vaguely remember Ash in the deep pockets of his memory.

Excitement surged through him – this was a very different hunt. Instead of putting his fangs in the right spots, he had to place words in the best places. It was all too exciting.

"Yeah, I recognized you from that night and thought I should say hello. Any friend of May's is a friend of mine," Ash told him.

The goody-goody crap was making Drew sick, but he gave an amused "heh" to cover it. Ash was easy to fool – the Angel didn't seem to realize he was standing in front of a clan enemy like the Demon thought he would, and should as the next High Priest. It was all too easy, and Drew almost felt disappointed and most of all, offended.

"So, you said you were a Dark Magician?" Ash asked. "That's cool."

"Yeah, I hear you perform magic too in your school," Drew told him, slyly, easing into the Angel's atmosphere.

"Y-yeah, I do. I take that class, but, you don't find that weird?"

Ash still thought Drew was a mortal at the basics of the his existence, figuring that even a mortal magician should find it weird other mortals can take a magic class. Too bad for the Angel he was thick-headed and couldn't go further to figure out maybe this person wasn't as much of a mortal as he let on. Lies; the world is full of it.

"No, I find it most interesting. Maybe we can engage in a duel?"

Drew shrugged, knowing that from then on in it would be effortless to hook the poor bastard.

"Right now?"

Ash was taken back at the offer.

"Yes, right now. No one will even notice, why, a Demon could fly around in dazed circles, and they wouldn't even bat an eye."

Drew moved slowly into the alley beside them, trying to test if the Angel was on the hook or not. Indeed he was, Ash turned to face him, severely entangled on Drew's line.

"Aw I couldn't-" Ash started, but Drew cut him off.

"What? Scared that I'll overwhelm you?"

Drew could almost see the hook being firmly wedged into his prey as Ash started flailing like a child in fury.

"I'm not scared of anything, especially you! You want a duel? Then show me your magic skills! I'll walk all over you!"

"Oh, I'll show you my magic…"

Drew backed further into the alley. A dark shadow swept over him and from the midst of that dark cloak, Drew's eyes started to glow an excited green as they narrowed in pure amusement. He spread his wings for Ash to see, knowing the Angel would rather fight him than run off and tell his community. It was all too easy to predict.

"But it's a very different kind of magic."

Ash swallowed, looking at the Demon. Drew watched as the Angel clenched a shaking fist as the Pikachu leapt off his shoulder.

"You're a Demon…" Ash lingered and then became serious. "I'm going to be High Priest someday…I should learn how to take one of you out."

Ash grit his teeth and spread his own wings.

Drew taunted him, "Then come on and try to take me out!"

The Demon then rocketed into the sky with a single swipe of his wings. Drew then waited in the air to see if Ash would follow and surely enough the Demon had the Angel right where he wanted him. Ash came zooming from the alley, ready to crash head-on into the Dark entity. Drew lifted and sped off, causing Ash to hang in mid air without the slightest clue as to what was going on. When he regained control of his concentration, Ash went after the Demon again.

Drew headed toward the higher buildings where a game of dangerous hide-and-seek ensued. The Angel caught up, and knocked one of Drew's wings out of sync with the other by hitting it with his own feathered wing. Drew powerfully kicked him in the hip and then dove down towards the street below. Ash followed him earnestly, trying to keep up. Drew watched this and evaluated that Ash was a better flyer than May, and was putting up an interesting fight. The Demon slowed his decent, seeing that it was safe below and no one was around. He was waiting for Ash to greet him. He knew the Angel would attempt some sort of wing or kicking attack to smash him into the ground with, but unfortunately for the lightie, Drew had the privilege of waiting and defense-strength.

Before Ash could deliver his blow, using the round bone at the arch of his wing, Drew issued his own attack, swiping his right, spread wing up into Ash's face, if only to push him back. The Angel's reflexes were underestimated though, and Ash quickly removed himself from Drew's large hitting range with a quick thrust backwards, pushing his wings against the air forcefully. Drew growled at his miss, and then sped on, waiting for another chance to strike.

The Angel followed, waiting for his chance to get a hit in. Ash began picked up speed as he followed Drew's ascent upwards, close to a glass building side where the sun painted a flash of light against it. With this lighting, their appearances to the people inside would be of two birds, and so their fight still went on undetected by mortal eyes. However, two Angelic eyes saw them as they glided upwards and she held her hands to her chest in anxiety. Pikachu sat next to her on a far-off roof, and watched as its trainer fought with the Demon.

"How…why are they fighting?" May asked breathlessly, though not even Pikachu could answer.

The young Angel spread her wings and flew quickly towards them before they could do any more damage.

Drew saw her coming from the corner of his eye and decided then to finish it before she could stop them. Both Ash and Drew had made it to the top of the building, and before the Angel could even turn around Drew slammed his foot between Ash's wings, causing them to flinch. He then was able to lock his foot between the shoulder blades. The maneuver was Drew's favorite – not only were the Angel's wings rendered temporarily useless, but the two of them were close enough to the roof that Drew could slam him into the concrete, which he went ahead and did. Ash landed on the roof ventral side down and put his arms out in front to cushion his rough landing. The Angel landed like deadweight and Drew settled near him to see the fruits of his labor. Ash was completely worn out with a small, dead stream of blood coming from the left corner of his mouth. His eyes were still fierce, still had fight left in them. Drew looked into those eyes with the same viciousness, same will to go on until the death. It was certain that the battle would have raged on had it not been for May's interception.

"What are you two doing?" she wailed. "How? Why?"

The two males didn't answer – she wouldn't understand anyway. For a few moments the three stared at each other – the two Angels horrified and disbelieving, Drew feeling good about himself. He had shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling that relief had been given to him somewhat, even if he hadn't gotten the chance to finish the Angel off.

"Ash…" May started, and Drew looked up as he heard her voice.

She looked worried about something and the Demon followed her gaze straight into the other Angel's face full of disbelief and disappointment. His teeth were clenched as tight as his fists that still lay on the ground, now beneath him as he was trying to get back up. He was on all fours, his clothes battered, and Pikachu walked up to him full of concern.

"May…you knew he was a Demon," Ash grit his teeth.

May looked down at him and nodded. She then knelt down to try and help him up back on his feet. He wouldn't take it, though. He tore away from her in disappointment, not wanting the subject to change until he got some answers.

"Why are you protecting this Demon?" Ash asked. "You should have told the clan! We need to get rid of him, now!" We-!"

"Ash! Stop! I…we're friends. I know it's hard to believe, but that's my choice. I'm not sure what's happened here today, though, but…but you need to promise! You need to promise you won't tell anyone! Promise you won't even give them a clue!"

"May! That's insane!"

"Promise!"

Ash grit his teeth again and grunted in frustration. It was hard to decide. Normally he would be more than willing to lie for a friend, but this was a completely different situation. He got up on his feet by himself while thinking and looked down at the ground that now had cracks where he had crashed.

"You won't be blamed if anyone finds out about it," May told him sincerely. "I just need you to play off like this never happened."

She looked down at the concrete beneath her feet and clasped her hands in front of her in a sort of prayer or an apology. The tenseness in Ash filtered out slowly and his shoulders sank as he now stood, thinking about his limited options. He looked at Drew with a burning hatred that flowed through his veins, through his DNA. He agreed though – he nodded and accepted May's terms, wiping the blood away from his mouth. As much as he wanted to have Drew taken care of, it was for May he agreed.

"Okay."

"Thank you, Ash!" May bursted with joy and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, thank you!"

Ash hugged her back, sweat-dropping nervously at her public display of friendly affection. He patted her on the back as a "you're welcome".

Only a few feet from them, Drew watched. Perhaps they were the match made in heaven, and these useless feelings he felt must have been a part of the hell he was supposed to endure for being a Demon. There had been no real plan in all of it, the Darkie just needed to know how good this other Angel really was. He could give the Angel credit, but had Drew really wanted to, he knew he could kill him. Of course, as much as he wanted to go through with it now, he decided to spare May from a traumatic experience such as that. Without so much as a goodbye, the bat-winged entity flew off into the darkening sky.

May heard the stealthy flap of his wings as he left. She broke away from Ash and watched him dive into the harbor-area where the warehouses were. She felt a sort of loss as he disappeared. Ash nudged her on the shoulder from behind, reminding her how late it was and that they should be heading home. Her friend picked up Pikachu and flew off without her towards home as she lingered for a moment looking back towards Drew's flight path. She then turned around and caught up to Ash.

She wondered. What had happened? The Angel decided it was her turn to pry.


	10. Chapter 9

Chap 9

The Angel main house is an edifice standing tall deep within the Lightie territory. It is built with dark brick walls with beige cement running up its corners, as if holding the walls in place. That same cement outlines the windows with their dark iron bars and designs. A large balcony decorates the front that faces the Darkie territory in an explosion of heavenly entities in whirlpools of that same beige cement. Baby Angels are still in an endless flight beneath the stunning platform. From the inside, a double door separates this artistic masterpiece – the doors are glass and embellished with swirls of black iron in a spider-web embrace. Its holy essence is apparent and the authority inside was what governed the city.

Norman made his way up the stoop, its stairs still looking new and that of royalty despite the cracked sidewalks that lay beneath it. He passed through the dark oak door and closed it gently – the silence inside deafening and not to be disturbed. He then seemed to glide towards the elevators on his journey to the balcony floor – the second from the top, the top being an attic. He stepped inside the small lift. The opening of the doors and the small ping of its bell seemed to penetrate the dark halls he left behind, like a sharp tack thrust into flesh.

The balcony floor's hallway is a collection of dark oak-paneled walls and doors. On the same wall as the elevator were a few doors Norman knew to be council elders' apartments where they lived and prayed. The one located at the very end was his father's suite. After stepping down, the elder priest had taken highest position in the council, and therefore, had stayed his son's "father" for longer than Norman's childhood. Every once in a while, Norman was expected to let his father know what was going on, and to ask approval for big projects. The answer was always positive – there was no doubting Norman's supreme authority - but the trek to the Main House was more than out of the way and Norman hated having to answer to someone else, when they all ought to be answering to him!

The meeting room, where all the elders were usually found is also known as The Balcony Room. Despite the dark hallway that led to it, the Balcony Room was bright and full of eerie sunlight. The tiles are black and white, checkerboard. The room is scarce of furniture except for a large, dark wood table surrounded by just enough chairs for all the elders and a guest at the back end, which was near the double doors leading into the room from the hall. The eldest council member, at this point in time, Norman's father, sat at the head of the table near the balcony's glass doors. This, in turn, made it appear that the sun, God, was sparkling down on whoever sat at that seat. It was the biggest honor under the title of "High Priest".

When Norman entered the room, all of the elders were present. The room was silent as they were all in prayer. Norman saw his father there at the head – so aged and white, he could have been God Himself. His wrinkled hands were clasped in front of him.

"High Priest, we were expecting you," his father said in a deep, yet soothing voice.

Norman took his place in the guest seat. The elders stopped their prayer, allowing Norman to have the floor.

"I came to let you know what I'm planning to do, Eldest," Norman said, uneasily.

His father chuckled, "I believe that's not the only thing. You are unsure if you should even go through with it."

"Yes, that's true," Norman admitted bashfully. Eldest nodded, and then leaned back in his chair, ready to hear what was going on in his son's mind.

Norman took a breath and then began. "A few days ago, my eldest child, May, introduced the family to a new friend she had made out of school. He was tall, darkly clothed, and not a Mortal like he claimed, from what I could tell. I fear he is a Dark – perhaps even a vampire that has acquired the ability to stand the sun."

Norman's words started a wave of discussion between the elders – they turned to each other in a light panic.

"Silence, everyone," Eldest said gently, though his deep voice made it incredibly stern. "You have reason to believe he is a Dark. But how do you propose to prove your assumption of the young fellow?"

"I was thinking about appointing the Undercover Angels. If he's a Dark, then he's a criminal to have come into this side of town, much less, my front door."

Norman spoke with great tension in his voice. So strongly did he believe he had been deceived by a lower life form that his teeth grit tightly. However, even he was aware the boy was entitled to a fair trial – there was still nothing to prove he wasn't a mortal trying his best to fit in amongst greater powers as a "Dark Magician".

"If I may speak," spoke up an elder closer to the middle of the table. His hair was white, but he did not appear to be as old as the other elders. "We haven't sensed any danger for years, so please, try not to get so worked up about this."

"Elder Valor is correct – you need not cause a disturbance within the community. If you do so choose to appoint the Undercover Angels for investigation, do keep a low profile," Eldest agreed with a nod of his head.

Norman got up from his seat, the feet of the wooden chair scraping across the black and white tiles. "Understood. Thank you for seeing me." Norman then bowed his head respectfully and left the room.

…

It had been two days since the fight and still the images of May's two closest friends replayed themselves within her head. May could not pay attention in class as the silent film ran its shows over and over again. How terrifying it had been to see a glimpse of what it had been like in the city not too long ago. Angel verses Demon – an angry battle with no clear cause and yet, bloodshed was at its toes awaiting its time to appear. May shuddered. How could she face either of them again? Yes, Ash had been more than understanding, but Drew? Perhaps she needed to rethink her thoughts on him. That fight; it seemed to be so much more meaningful than that of a fight between Zangoose and Seviper.

May had not seen the Demon since that frightening day, and all on choice. The Angel refused to believe she was scared of him, but it could be the only reasonable explanation, for she died inside knowing a stronger part of her would not allow a meeting between the two entities. The Angel hoped, by some chance, that Drew would make a move and come to her balcony again. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted it to happen, and more and more did it have nothing to do with the struggle.

When it got to two days without a word from the Demon, May broke down, and decided to work against her gut and fly to their rooftop. She needed to see him – it was a necessity now.

She took off into the sky, gliding on brisk air currents, the sun's rays only gently petting her soft wings. The rooftop came into view. It felt like an eternity since she'd seen it and only now did she realize how much she missed it, or rather, how much she missed who sat there all day long just to see her. Her heart began to race as she spotted his black wing folded next to the stairwell cabin – it was almost like he was hiding. She landed on the concrete tiles, and looked up to see he had not acknowledged her arrival. The Demon was staring out toward the tall vampire edifices in the distance as they watched over the Darkie territory. The sun shone on him though, in an awkward way – he appeared to be a shadow out-of-place.

"I knew you'd show up sooner or later," he finally greeted her.

May's face contorted into a mix of confusion and disappointment – he was the same old Drew, just to spite her daydreams.

"How'd you know that?" May challenged, though she was not ready for the answer.

"Because you can't control yourself. Honestly, I really thought it'd take a week, tops – but two days? My, my, May. You could make it look like you can resist."

May's face turned scarlet. Resist? "Resist…what?"

"A cliffhanger? You just want to know so badly! Why? What'd you think I meant?"

He turned around to face her now, smiling so devilishly with eyes that read her soul like a child's storybook. May gulped. Had he figured out her feelings for her? That little twit!

"Just…tell me what went on the other day. As you know, I just can't resist the pull of this cliffhanger any longer!"

Her sarcasm made him smirk. He got up slowly and walked towards her. The Demon took the liberty of sitting right in front of her, and noticing how much it made her uneasy, leaned in, so that their faces were only an inch or two apart. He could hear her breathing now, heavily and nervously, as if by chance, something she wanted but knew she couldn't have would take place right there. He narrowed his eyes and smiled like the devil he was before speaking again in a teasing voice.

"Well, I'm not gonna tell you."

"What?" May exploded. "What do you mean you're not gonna tell me?"

"It's none of your fuckin' business."

Drew was giggling – he was enjoying this so much.

"Don't use those words with me! Really – just tell me."

"I was testing him – that's all you need to know. I thought I had a good opportunity."

May huffed and folded her arms across her chest. She just could not believe what she was hearing. The Angel turned away from Drew, in a way that almost made it look like she would refuse to speak with him.

"Well…well it scared me," she said in an irritated voice.

Drew became serious now – he had never thought about May's point of view on the matter. The ordeal had never included her, and so the thought of her just escaped him as much as Ash's thoughts on it escaped him. He didn't really care – all that mattered was the information he had gotten from his short and violent study, that burst of aggressive energy.

"It scared you?" he asked, bewildered at the thought. Surely she couldn't have thought it was so brutal – Ash got away in one piece, literally. What would the Angel think if she saw what he was really capable of?

"Yes! I may not want to marry him, but Ash is still my friend. You are too. It was just…so weird to see you at it like that."

"You…don't want to marry him…" Drew murmured in realization, but May didn't hear it. She was still rambling.

"It almost felt like the war was about to begin again."

Drew broke out of his gaze and rolled his eyes. "Please, May. I don't know about your buddy, but if I had really been insane, he'd be dead."

"Drew!"

"What? I'm just saying the honest truth." Drew shrugged nonchalantly.

"I can't stand you!"

"Yeah. Okay."

Drew folded his arms in front of him. He knew very well that May was just going through a hissy-fit – nothing out of the ordinary.

"Are all Demons annoying and mean like you?"

"Are all Angels little goody, two shoes like you?"

May paused and with that, Drew stopped his laughing. He turned to face her, concerned if perhaps he had really gotten her down now. His goal was to make her argue and to rub her wrong way, not so much upsetting her, at this point. May sat with her legs under her, her hands clasped neatly on her thighs, in deep thought. Her face expressed her hurt, but not in a way Drew thought his comment would.

"You okay?" Drew asked after the small pause.

"Not really. It's because my answer is no...to your question."

Drew quirked an eyebrow. She was admitting her race was not perfect in every way?

"You're right. The Angels like to claim they are all virtues and right all the time but," May paused. She shook her head with narrowed eyes. "Everything just feels like a lie around them. Like they're all fake smiles, like there's always something going on; there's always another lie to cover up."

May then turned to Drew, a little more confidence present in her voice, a little more anger and disappointment in her eyes.

"And, I've known that longer than I've known you. I just didn't care that much. It just didn't pertain to me."

"Well, if it wasn't through me, then how did you really figure it out?" Drew asked, trying his best to show May he was interested, though he was almost disappointed he hadn't truly been the one to "show her the light".

The Angel looked down at the old concrete limit in front of her. Beyond it, the building across the street was an unfocused replica of itself. As May stared, the memory of her tale of realization made reality fade before her eyes and transported her back in time.

"My father had brought me to the church to help him with some filing some years ago when I was fourteen. I remember him ranting to another priest who worked there about how the church was losing money. He said it was like someone was stealing it.

I walked to the filing room in the back to get started on my work. There was a man there I had seldom seen, but I knew he was an Angel like me. He was at the desk shuffling through my father's papers like he was looking for something."

…

"Um, excuse me? What are you doing?" the small girl asked as she walked into the tiny filing room.

The walls were an off-white, almost nauseating yellow color. File cabinets lined the room's border, standing on white, black-speckled tiles. A wooden desk had been propped up at the wall opposite the door and that was where May had spotted the man. He was quickly looking through drawers and flipping through notebooks.

The man whipped his head around like a criminal caught in the act. "You!" he shouted with a deep, scratchy tone as if he held a grudge on the girl. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her close to him in a psychotic way. Slamming the door, he pinned her to the white panels.

May kicked and screamed, but the man had turned into a monster, it seemed, as his skin began turned a burning red color. He threw her to the floor, May hit the tiles with a hard thud and a bit of a bounce before crying out. The man seemed to be in pain, but he continued to smile a devilish grin as he sprawled himself over the smaller Angel. His wings were outstretched in an irritated manner. The younger Angel struggled, but the older man's weight was too much, and he begun to press a hand down on her windpipe. His other hand was feeling around, she knew, but she couldn't feel it as her focus remained poised on the fact that he was trying to kill her.

The door swung open at that instant to reveal Norman in a panicked rush, but May had already fallen into a deep slumber. That was where the memory always ended.

…

"After that, my father and the other elders banished him to Outskirt. My father kept telling me not to tell anyone about what happened; he kept telling me that that man was a Demon who had slipped under the radar somehow. But I knew. I always knew that…that had been an Angel, no matter how you look at it."

May had been squeezing her hands anxiously since the story began and even now she kept it up nervously.

"It's a good thing your dad showed up when he did. That guy would've raped you if no one stopped him," Drew said, feeling the need to comment.

"How do you know that?"

"Because it sounded like he was suffering from Lust. Obviously Lust took advantage of Greed's presence. That's terrible."

Drew shook his head.

"My father is to blame too from my answer. He's always scrutinizing me and Max. I don't think that's "goody, two shoes" either. My brother does the same thing on occasion. And then Ash was fighting with you – I'm starting to think I'm the only real Angel left!"

May's voice was stern and serious, but Drew couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, don't blame Ash – obviously he can't help "doing the right thing". But in reality, I practically asked him to a fight."

"I know, because you just wanted to!" May rolled her eyes and folded her eyes, as if she had heard the story a million times. However, Drew got serious here, and looked out down toward the street below them, still debating what had really gone on that day. Of course, he knew what it was, but to admit it out loud? Was this the right timing? It needed to be, before the words ate him alive like maggots, he needed to come clean.

"Yeah, that's what I said, but most of it was a lie."

May quirked an eyebrow, and waited noticeably for his answer. She intended to pry into him with her silence, letting him have the floor to spill his guts or whatever he needed to accomplish. Drew wasn't about to back down to that, though. He had kept his arms folded, and tried not to look at the Angel.

"It really was your business. I was testing him out but not just because I'm a mean bastard. I…wanted to see if he was…right for you," Drew choked out.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, personally, I thought he was skilled in flight but lacking in combat."

Drew tried to give himself confidence, and what better way than to bring someone else down? May sat in silence until she said "Oh" so nonchalantly that Drew's face contorted into knots of disappointment in her lackluster response. However, so innocently did a smile crawl onto the Angel's face, though its cuteness was only skin deep. Drew could see how evil and taunting it was underneath.

"Heh," she giggled happily.

"What?" the Demon demanded, trying to find a way to turn back the clock.

This was so awkward and he regretted ever making the decision. What did she think? She probably thought he was ridiculous, ludicrous, out of his mind. But she kept on smiling, but it was different now. She was giggling happily as if relieved and overjoyed. The Demon's brow furrowed, confused. May turned her body to face him seriously, her eyes bright.

"It just…wouldn't have mattered who I was appointed to marry, would it? No one would have been good enough, not if it meant I couldn't be with you."

Drew sat in shock – she really had figured him out, and he sat bewildered, unable to make a reply.

"It's true isn't it?" May questioned, but did not wait for a reply, "Because I just realized…that's what I think, too."

The breeze's dramatic effect blew past them as they stared at each other for a brief moment. This was it – a turning point in their lives, and a deadly one at that. As they wrapped their arms around each other and came together at last for a gentle kiss, they threw safety away. And for what seemed like a long while, May just didn't care what could become of this. All that mattered was that she was tightly grasped in Drew's arms with her wings weakly fallen behind her, unable to stand up to the overwhelming emotions that swirled in her chest, freely finally.

And then reality hit her like a brick. This…just wasn't acceptable, it wasn't natural, even if it did feel like the only correct thing she had ever done. She pushed away from Drew reluctantly and looked at him with sorry eyes.

"We can't be doing this!" she exclaimed, horrified.

Drew didn't speak, tilting his head like a confused puppy dog – he allowed her to come to her own conclusions slowly.

May had stumbled upon a quandary, and quickly assessed the options and consequences of each decision. One option would be to never see Drew again – but that wasn't even a choice, at this point. Surely any option that would keep them within the confines of Metropolis could lead to disastrous outcomes, especially if any Angel got wind of what was going on. Then that meant there was only one surefire way to get out of this mess.

"We have to get out of here," May said sternly, seriously, as if the action needed to be done immediately, which it did.

"That's what I was thinking. We're on the same page! Savor the moment!"

"Don't start!" May warned, but in a hurried tone of voice. "But where are we gonna go?"

"Who knows? Anywhere's better than this place."

"Can we be reasonable, please?"

"Okay, okay. I know a guy that has a bunch of old shipping maps. Maybe there's something just beyond the horizon we can get to easily. We can go see him tomorrow."

"Why not now?"

Drew sighed and rolled his eyes. Looking up at the sky he said,

"You're probably not going to make curfew at this point. That's why."

May looked up at the zenith as Drew was. To her dismay, the sky was already colored deep red, and the very top of the dome was turning purple, allowing night to slither in undetected. It was only now that May noticed the golden yellow highlights of the setting sun painted on Drew's face and clothes.

"Okay, tomorrow," the Angel agreed and then sped away without so much as a goodbye.

Drew understood – she was in a hurry. After all was said and done, the Demon felt as if the world had been lifted from his shoulders. As he basked in this relief and the shine of the sky's setting star, a new crisis unmasked itself. Now that separation was unfathomable, he had found the act of running away to be a delightful idea as soon as May said it, but now there was trouble. The Angels of Metropolis were gritty and Drew knew that they would do anything to keep the laws they had darkened the city with unbroken, no matter how far away the criminals had flown. Drew could just imagine himself and May in a new city, but still made to hide. It was so difficult…to be in love with someone society considered "too good" for him.

…

May bursted through the front door just in time for her curfew to ring on the grandfather clock hidden in the living room. She was breathing heavily, tired from her fastest flying sprint ever. Her wing muscles in her back were pulsing with exhaustion and her throat was dry and scratchy. Amongst all of this, though, she was happy. The Angel felt as though her emotions had finally been liberated of the pen she had been forced to keep them in.

The house was full of shadows, even with the setting sun beaming through the open front door she had not yet closed. Eerie silence filled the room, dead and stale, as if no one lived in the dwelling. Shutting the door, May debated on whether to call out for someone or to let the sleeping house lie. Her decisions became moot as Norman stepped out from behind the wall that bordered the short hallway towards the family room.

Norman's face was stern and grim and it seemed as though he were picking and choosing his words so that they would define the immense anger and disbelief depicted on his features.

"May," he said her name.

The younger Angel stood up straight, but did not answer her father's call. She prayed to God that he had seen and not liked her report card or something to that extent. The Angel wished for anything except the news he shared with her.

"I never thought, my own daughter would betray us like this."

May's eyes widened in fear and she gasped. No. There was just no way that he had figured it out.

Norman's left fist was clenched, his other hand behind him, and he didn't move. He spoke in a deep voice, calm but most irritated. "You know what has to be done, don't you? To regain the entire clan's respect? To not be excommunicated? To not be sentenced to Seven Days?"

His voice had risen in volume, but he was still not yelling. Unlike Norman's tone, May's voice demonstrated her feelings fully.

"I…I can't. Whether you believe it or not, he's my friend! I can't do it!"

Norman now began to walk towards his daughter, his right hand still concealed behind him. He stopped before May, looking down at her with the tendency to hit her. He did no such thing, though. He simply brought his right hand in front of him and grabbed May's right arm. He placed a dagger in her palm. It was a very opulent dagger something that could have belonged to a queen. It had a gold handle with curled, robe-like texture and a shiny orb at its handle's tip that seemed to glow with white sunlight. May looked up from the silver blade into her father's stern eyes that stabbed her very soul.

"Do you know what this item is called?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"Sunilluma," May said sadly, but accepting her fate.

"Very soon, I want news that that Demon was slain by your hand, or I will make sure both of you never see the light of day again."

He then turned abruptly, not wanting anything to do with the girl. May fell to the ground, ignoring the pain that shot up from her kneecaps as they hit the floor. Tears rolled down her cheeks silently in endless streams. Her father had saved her from death, yes, but at what price?


	11. Chapter 10

Chap 10

"Shit," was Drew's reaction to May's tale about the night prior.

Again they were sitting on their rooftop, the afternoon only now going through its middle. A sea breeze haunted them as it ruffled their clothing and hair, but neither one could feel the wavering inside. Things had happened too quickly without them, and now Norman knew everything, much less, at the same time they had figured it out.

"I don't know how he found out. I'm thinking he might have hired the Undercover Angels to spy on me," May told Drew regrettably, as if it were all her fault.

Drew looked up at her and shook his head. "That sounds about right. It doesn't matter how, though…what matters now is how we're going to get around it."

"We still don't have a plan; even without someone finding out!" May exclaimed, obviously upset.

Drew rushed a hand to her mouth, covering it tightly, and then looking around the forest of buildings, as if he'd spot those cunning Angels hidden in the brick.

"You have to keep your voice down now," Drew informed her. "You don't know where those bastards could be hiding."

May removed his hand, and held it in her hands without realizing it.

She whispered now, "The thing I'm most worried about is…how I'm supposed to kill you. I really don't want to do it."

"Yeah, I really don't want to die either," Drew said sarcastically with the most serious face. "However…"

Drew trailed in thought. The clans that resided inside him made him almost immortal, if not, all the way, so the killing would actually be the easiest part, that is, if May turned out to be a wonderful actress.

Drew turned his head either which way. Where their rooftop had always seemed safe to him, it now leaked with danger. The Undercover Angels would expect them to meet back at that building, and therefore, the place was probably crawling with eavesdroppers.

"Let's take a walk. There's actually a person we need to meet up with today," Drew said as he backed up from May.

He spread his wings and dove into the alleyway below with May following him, trusting his primitive instincts. Hidden behind a dumpster, they both hid their wings in their backs, making them appear to be regular mortals. However, Drew knew that any Undercover Angel watching would not be so easily fooled, and so they walked down the street in silence, and if not silence, then conversation that would not give those spies any information.

"Why don't they just swoop down and get me right now?" Drew asked, invigorated by the thought.

At least if they attacked first, no one could blame him for defending himself.

"It would cause a scene they don't want. My dad probably doesn't want chaos breaking out if he can help it," May answered. "Besides…he said I could repent for my sins if I killed you."

Drew nodded and then looked ahead of them. The city seemed so natural – no one would ever guess situations like his and May's happened everyday, whether it was a street fight between werewolves and vampires, or secret spies issued by holy deities.

The Demon did not know May's father very well, but already he felt averseness for the man – what father forced his daughter to redress on something only he thought was wrong? It was then Drew realized he probably didn't know any better – the only real father figure Drew had was a gay man who shared no relation with him whatsoever. The only thing Drew knew about his real father was that the man was the Demonic sperm donor to his vampiric mother, whom he could not remember either.

Arriving at their destination, somewhere deep within Darkie territory, the sign read "Jack Lantern's Bar". Drew opened the door and implored May to step inside, even if it was dark and completely against all she wanted to believe in. May reluctantly stepped inside, feeling the chill of displacement run its course through her veins. Feeling Drew's presence behind her made her feel a little more welcome, as he seemed to own the place with his heavy stride, his hands nestled in his coat pockets. Despite the fact that the place had the eerie, disgusting smell of old blood and other bodily fluids, May felt a little safer – the Undercover Angels could not tread inside and there were barely any windows.

Drew sat at the bar on one of the red-covered stools and May took her place next to him.

"Now that we're in here, we can talk freely – but keep your identity on the down-low, okay?" Drew warned and May nodded, understanding the situation. "To get you up-to-date, this is a bar I usually hang out at in the Darkie Territory. We're here to meet up with a guy named Jack Lantern, who is not a mortal, so let me do all the talking."

"Okay," May said, nodding. "But…while we're waiting for him, can you please tell me how in the world we're gonna go through with tricking the Undercover Angels into thinking I killed you?"

May was getting frustrated now, and Drew could understand.

He smirked and said, "Just rip me open. As long as you don't impale me through the heart, I'll be fine. I'm part Vampire, ya know."

"Are you sure? This is Sunilluma we're talking about – it is more than just a blade, it's the power of light and the sun too."

"And that's where the Demon half saves me. Like I said, don't worry about it."

May looked down at the polished wood of the bar uncertain, but if Drew said it was okay, she guessed he knew better than anyone. She sighed, feeling nervous about the whole ordeal.

"Masseur, you have returned!" came a female voice from behind them.

May looked at the girl, and for an instant was flabbergasted at the girl's appearance. The cat-girl was odd-looking to May, with an hourglass body only partly covered by a thin layer of leather and a doll-painted face; May could only guess her occupation. The Angel heard Drew groan as Kitty nettled her way all over the Demon.

"I have missed you," Kitty stated.

"Well, I didn't miss you at all," Drew retorted coldly.

"Come now. Why else have you stopped here?"

"Usually I come here to drink, but today it's to see Jack – where is he?"

"Who cares? And who is this girl? Is she looking for a job?"

"Kitty, get off me. The answers are: I do, my girl, and hell no."

The cat-girl immediately released Drew in a fit of rage.

"Girlfriend? You unfaithful bastard!"

"I'm unfaithful? Look at you! Kelly's dead and all you can do is try to rape me."

Kitty put her hands to her perfectly round hips. "I've moved on."

"Just go tell Jack I'm here," Drew said, squeezing the bridge of his nose in utmost frustration.

Kitty didn't move though, like a spoiled child who was tit-for-tat. "Not until you engage."

"That's disgusting, even for me, and I don't have time for it anyway. Now go get Jack before I kill you."

Kitty huffed, but there was no other choice. When Drew's eyes began to glow, it was time to give in. The cat-girl hopped off her stool, her brow furrowed, disappointed once again.

May watched her walk to the wall ahead of them and open a hidden door beside the shelves of vodka and scotch.

When she disappeared, May leaned over to Drew, "I really don't like that girl."

Drew chuckled, "Me neither – though she's sometimes a good person. But that's rare."

"Jack will see you now," Kitty reappeared, folding her arms and leaning against the wall beside the door.

"Thanks, Kitty," Drew said sarcastically.

The cat-girl smirked, knowing that was the best grateful statement she'd ever get. She walked away as May made her way into the room followed by Drew. Inside that little room was also pretty dark, save for a green, desk lamp and a tall corner light that only really illuminated the corner it stood in. A file cabinet sat beside the door facing the large, wooden desk that split the room into halves. Two wooden seats – complete with arm rests - sat facing the desk as well. Last but not least, Jack Lantern himself sat in a big easy chair behind the overwhelming desk.

He was clearly a skeleton, reanimated by a very skilled necromancer, but the only thing different about this skeleton was that he wore a pumpkin, a "Jack-o-lantern", as a head or cover for his head. The rest of him was covered in a deep violet robe. May knew then that his full name was clearly a play-on-words. Drew looked at his buddy and shook his head. The skeleton had not always been like that. Every time the Demon saw him, he remembered the one drunk night Lantern had told the story of how he had extracted his own soul and placed it in one of the skeletons in his collection. The ex-necromancer claimed it was the best thing he had ever done – to give himself full immortality with his own power. Drew had agreed, though he had argued that immortality by birth was even better.

"Please, take a seat," Jack offered the two open seats with a bony hand.

Shaken a bit, May took that as an order, but did not let her fear show on her face. Drew took his seat a little more casually, as if the man behind the desk had flesh. Jack leaned back in his easy chair, as if business was nonexistent.

"You said you wanted to see me, Drew," Jack said. "Who is this? A girlfriend, perhaps?"

"You could say that, I guess," the Demon answered, showing a sharp canine from beneath his lips. "She's an aristocrat."

"Ah, a very high-ranking vampire. Good catch. And so pretty," Jack said as he looked at the girl.

May gulped and was bashful towards his statement. She did not speak as she had been told, and Jack took it as she was very shy, which was perfect for the situation.

"I told you last night, I need a favor from you. Have you looked up what I needed?" Drew changed the subject.

Jack nodded and got up from his chair, leaving it rocking as he made his way to the file cabinet. He opened one of its drawers and flipped through some of the papers and files on hand. The Demon had been through the cabinet before and it contained all of the papers that kept the bar running – like his license to distribute alcohol and the contracts Kitty and her team had signed – and also simple things Jack collected, like maps, which was why Drew had turned to him first for advice on where to run off to.

"I didn't have the correct information so I went to the library. I was in there all night – I swear no one works there," Jack said as he shuffled through his belongings.

"Sounds like you got it eventually."

"I did. I actually found something even better than you had asked for."

Jack had found the file he was looking for. Closing the squeaky drawer back to place, he spun on his heel, now excited with his find, and plopped down in his chair. He opened the folder, different papers exposed themselves as its contents.

"You had said that you wanted to know if there was some place beyond Outskirt. And there is…in theory."

He took out a map that showed the mysterious land beyond Metropolis. Much of the map was blank, adding to the elusive terrain that was even beyond Outskirt, if it was possible.

"This artist believes the Demons still exist somewhere in Outskirt, preferably along the coast either North or South of Metropolis. However, there are known oases throughout the desert. This map depicts exactly where they are."

"It seems too uncertain – doesn't sit right with me."

"Agreed – and who knows how old this map is. Those oases could be dried up for all anyone knows. And then who knows how big Outskirt is? Some say it goes on forever."

"We're just trying to get away from our parents – they don't want us together. We don't want to die trying to get away – that's like shooting yourself in the foot. What was your other plan?"

"My other plan involved the ocean. She's an aristocrat and you're half an aristocrat? You can both turn into bats, right?"

"We don't turn into bats," Drew said with a roll of his eyes. "But we do have wings. Why? What's your plan?"

May's brow furrowed a bit – that didn't sound right, but Drew kept talking and Jack kept listening. Jack took out another map, this one also showed Metropolis planted at its shore with the wide ocean beyond it. On the other edge of the paper sat another, unknown slab of land that also showed civilization.

"I got this map from merfolk records. It's actually the map that shows the mer-people's travels. This coast is where they disappear to year-round. It's full of pirates and ancient temples that hoard ghosts and ninjas, but I think you might find it roomy. Since I haven't seen any records of vampires, all the blood there is yours for the taking."

"Okay, but how do we get there? How far is it?"

"Pretty far. Usually it's too far to fly in one trip and with no islands on the way, you'd crash into the ocean and drown of exhaustion."

Drew folded his arms and slumped back against the rest behind him.

"So what you're saying is, our plans of running away are hopeless…"

"Uh uh uh! I'm not finished. Every month they're a high and a low tide. At low tide, these sea mounts poke out from the surface and they can be used as resting spots."

"That's perfect – when does low tide start?" May exclaimed, excited and relieved at the same time.

There was a pause. Jack Lantern was as equally surprised with her outburst as Drew pretended to be.

"The sea mounts become good landing spots by tomorrow night. Hope that's not too late."

"It is, but we'll manage. It's the only choice we have," Drew said sternly, confident with this plan.

Not only would it be painless, but it would keep the Angels at bay. It would probably take the Angels years to figure out that he and May had traveled across the ocean instead of taking on Outskirt. Drew was banking on this plan.

"Thanks for your time, Jack, we really appreciate it," Drew said, shaking the skeleton's bony hand as he got up from his chair.

Jack nodded, "No problem. But I am gonna miss ya. Send me some maps when ya get there."

Drew chuckled, "Will do."

The Demon and Angel left the room as casually as they had entered. As soon as Drew closed the door, May turned to him.

She whispered, "Drew, I'm really glad we finally have somewhere to go but…true vampires like aristocrats don't have wings."

"I know…but do you think a skeleton that lives in a closet knows that?" Drew chuckled as he opened the front door to the bar.

The light of the setting afternoon sun confused May for a minute. Being in Jack Lantern's dark crevice of a room made her believe it was late at night. May looked at Drew with stern eyes and a slight frown. This would be her last night in Metropolis. Tomorrow they planned to fly away to that mysterious continent across the waves. Despite this dangerous arrangement, Drew seemed poised, standing there with a confident smirk, trying to reassure her everything would go according to plan.

As May spread her wings, her white plumage almost sparkling in the yellow beams of sunlight, she felt a tingling feeling in her chest. Was it really that easy escaping Metropolis? The road ahead of her seemed bright as she rose into the sky, but confidence was not behind that illusion. Somehow, in the pit of her stomach, the invisible bars of a bird cage showed themselves wrapped around the city.

At home May avoided her father, but she could not dodge his knowing glares. She nodded, knowing that he knew it meant she had given in and would go through with his orders soon. Despite his tough outer appearance, Norman could understand May's feelings, but with time he believed he could make her believe it was the right thing to do.

May didn't believe that, though. She felt herself hit the bars of her bird cage again and again. She fell, but those black-iron bars would not budge.


	12. Chapter 11

Chap 11

May did not even realize she was in school as she rested her head on her folded arms. The teacher spoke, but the picture and the sounds were jumbled together in a blur. She sighed. All of the things that were happening were too much for her. Why couldn't everyone just let a Demon and Angel be? Why was there such hate when there were no grounds for it?

The last bell rang and yet, the joy shared by the other students never reached May. She had become lost in a dazed gloom, and sat at her desk even after the class had disappeared.

"May? You okay?" Brock asked from the front of the classroom. "You look depressed."

"Oh, um, yeah…I guess I'm just tired," she lied. Brock had no idea what was going on in the High Priest estate and that's the way May wanted it. She wished she could tell someone, but it was too dangerous. "I've got to go. I'll see ya around!"

May picked up her books from her desk and left, the door opened wide in her wake. Brock watched her leave, baffled and concerned.

…

May took a deep breath as she walked down the sidewalk toward Darkie territory. She had a small pouch resting on her hip. The Angel kept her eyes on the ground as if earnestly trying to create her own little world where she could dwell or die.

The crosswalk across Horizon Line made her nauseous as she waited for the light to turn red. She reluctantly crossed the street that separated light from darkness, and all a while she kept her head down, feeling her heart knock against her ribcage like a hollow rock. When May looked up, she saw Drew waiting for her on the other side. He seemed cheerful, as if he had no idea what was about to happen. Maybe it was his good acting or maybe he had full confidence in their plans. May joined him and they walked together down the street as if it were any other day.

"So, what's going on? Learn any other useless crap in school today?" Drew asked, trying to lighten the mood.

The Angel could not smile, though. "No…I barely remember any of it."

"Damn…" Drew lingered on the word, mostly muttering it to himself.

There was silence for the longest time and with each passing second Drew felt nervous. They could not let the Undercover Angels think for a second he knew anything.

"Come on! Cheer up! What's with you?" Drew tried to sound as oblivious as he could.

May swallowed, "Nothing's wrong!"

Drew bit his bottom lip. He had to do something to keep the Undercover Angels at bay and make May see that everything would be okay. Coming up on their left was an alley-way wedged between two grocery stores. Drew grabbed May's hand.

"Come here," he murmured and dragged May into the alley. It was a dead end surrounded by brick walls and the small area towards the back was hidden by garbage cans and a dumpster. Drew led her there, gracefully tugging her along until he stopped, his back centimeters from the wall. He held her there close to him, his hands on her hips. May felt a rush of heat circulate across her cheeks as Drew's mouth made contact with hers.

"Do it now," he murmured, hoping she would listen before the opportunity was gone.

Feeling his tongue explore her mouth and his fangs gently resting against her lip, the Angel felt sad. The moment she knew for sure she was in love with the Demon she had to stab him. He might survive, but what if he didn't? Would she cripple him?

There was no time for thought, and knowing what she had to do, her arm worked by itself. In an instant, the blade was drawn from the sheath resting at her side and dug itself into Drew's abdomen.

Drew let go of her, weakened by the pain that now coursed through his body. It was different than what he had anticipated, however. It wasn't burning him but instead, there was a cold chill that ran through every vein in his body, as if that power were spilling out of the metal and into him. He barely realized May shoving him into the wall and brutally ripping the blade out of his flesh – he was still mesmerized by the force attempting to destroy him from the inside out. Yet, it did not feel like destruction, even as he felt his dark blood pour from the wound.

May held the bloody dagger in her hand and watched as Drew sat in a daze. He finally moved his head and focused on her. The Angel was frightened and disgusted at what she had done. Blood stained her hands, legs, and clothes. His eyes shifted, going in and out of focus. Lifting his head again, he gave a snort with a smirk and then fell to the ground, his exposed wings falling over him like blankets.

The Angel backed up, genuinely frightened and feeling as if she needed to vomit. She spread her wings and flew off as fast as she could, putting the dagger back into its sheath.

Drew still lay in a pool of his own blood. He wanted to fly up to May and congratulate her on a job well done, as well as tell her how smart she was. Yes, compliments for his little, white doll. He lay there feeling his muscles come back into commission, stronger than they were before and his eyes dilating to accommodate their new structure. There was no doubt about it; May had stabbed him with Sindarkka, not Sunilluma. What she had done with Sunilluma or how she got a hold of Sindarkka, he had no idea. The power in the dagger was something Drew had never felt before; it was like a stimulant, causing his mind to blur and his heart to race.

Two undercover Angels landed in front of him, oblivious to what was about to befall them. Their eyes were covered with dark sunglasses, but besides that, they appeared to be regular mortals in blue suits, only with white wings.

One held a walkie-talkie to his mouth. "You owe me twenty dollars. Over."

"Yeah, yeah, just get the body over here already. High Priest wants to see it. Over."

"Will do. Over and out."

Drew sat up, still bleeding, with a maniacal smile filled with sharp teeth. His dilated eyes were glowing a green hue and he drooled a bit, taking in the fierce drug that now worked its magic within the dark entity's being.

"What the fuck?" was all the Undercover Angel could muster before Drew pounced on him and bit hard into the man's neck. The Demon's sharp fangs elongated, and under the influence of the drug, pierced through the Angel's throat as if it were cheap rubber. Drew did not open his mouth as he pulled away, taking skin with him. The other Angel stood horrified as Drew leapt over to him and delivered the same punishment.

A smart move? Perhaps not, Drew realized after he had lapped up the last bits of blood from his fingers. Then again, he blamed Sindarkka. The darkness within that dagger was powerful, much more powerful than he could ever be alone. It was fascinating and yet, he prayed to never be under its influence again. Had May left the dagger in any longer, he feared Wrath would be on him like flies on trash.

The Demon looked at the sky. The sun was slowly setting and night would be upon the city once again. He breathed heavily – it was the flight across the ocean he felt nervous about most of all.

…

May had arrived home and she sat on her bed listening to the silence that filled the room. Images of Drew's blood on her hands and his weak body falling to the ground still ran through her mind – she truly believed she had killed him. The Angel did not cry, though. She was too shocked to cry and her concerned Pokemon gathered around, worried about her suddenly pale complexion. Max had respected her privacy throughout the night, and Caroline had even let her skip dinner. However, Norman wasn't about to let his daughter go on like this.

May heard his footsteps come up the stairs and around to her room. The closed door's knob turned and he opened the door cautiously, to show he still respected her wishes to be alone.

The young Angel looked at him, hiding her disgust behind a solemn expression.

"Hello, May," Norman greeted her. "You didn't come down to dinner tonight."

"Yeah," May shrugged. "I…didn't feel up to it."

"Come take a walk with me to the church. You could use the fresh air."

Seeing she had no choice, May got up off her bed and followed her father downstairs. There they left through the front door and into the night.

It was early in the evening. The sun had just crept under the horizon and the moon still had not shown its face. The air was stagnant and crisp, yet crickets still chirped as if it were summer. May lost herself for a moment. Ever since she had met Drew, there was some hidden wonder about the night that had all of a sudden come to her attention. She raveled in it until the memories of that afternoon struck her once again.

"Nice night," Norman said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yeah," May agreed automatically.

Norman didn't face her as he began to speak.

"I know what went on today."

May's breath was caught in her throat, but she allowed him to speak. His tone was not dangerous, so she supposed he was easing into the conversation the best he could.

"I know that doing what you did felt wrong and barbaric, but let me assure you it wasn't. You did the right thing to kill that Demon."

"Why? How is it that God wants us to live in peace but then turn around and kill Demons? Aren't they alive too?"

Norman paused. Quite frankly, he did not sit well with his daughter's questioning of their faith. He had feared the Demon's words had poisoned her mind. Now knowing he had been too late only made him feel like a failure in his family and his clan.

"They aren't Gods creations – they're mistakes." His tone was stern. "They are evil, pitiful things that can't be trusted. Even God knows the world is better off with them dead and in hell where they belong. Just like we're from heaven, Demons are the Devil's creation."

May felt sick. Her father's words were no different than the sound of the dagger through Drew's flesh.

They approached the large church in no time. In the darkness, it could have passed as a haunted house for Halloween. May walked against the chills running up her spine. Somehow, she did not trust the church. It seemed tall and menacing with its iron front and dark shadows.

Norman opened the door for her and May walked inside. The lights were on and the elders of the Angel main house were present, lining the aisle.

"Why is everyone here?" May inquired, but Norman did not answer. He simply got in front of her and strode up to the stage. May slowed as she watched his pace quicken. When he reached the stage, he tapped his foot on the wooden area beside him and up popped a trap door.

"We just wanted to thank you for ridding the city of the Demon," said one elder. "Unfortunately…we can't do that."

Before May could even begin understanding him, two elders grabbed her from behind by her arms, pinning her in place. She struggled, wings slapping them in the backs, but their hands were closed shut around her wrists as if they were cinder blocks. They began to walk, dragging May along further down the aisle and towards the trap door. As May got closer to the opening, she could see stairs leading down and a tunnel that ran forward under the church. The two Angels holding her lifted her off the ground and proceeded into the dungeon.

"What's going on?" May yelled. "Someone tell me!"

No one answered. One by one the elders followed one another into the dungeon, Norman being last. They continued on down the corridor. Its walls were made of pure stone and they seemed damp – water dripped somewhere deeper in the cavern.

"Where are we going?" May asked. She had stopped struggling.

"The Eastern Tower – all will be revealed when we get there, so hush up," said an unknown elder.

May looked ahead – light illuminated a chamber and as the group neared this light source, May could see bars closing the light in. They stopped right in front of the chamber. Inside was disgustingly wet – a thin film of water covered the entire floor except for a circular, raised section. This small platform was located right in the center of the cell with two tall towers looming on either side of it, chains dangling from their points.

May started struggling again as the Angels holding her began to move into the chamber. It was no use, though. In an instant, they dragged her forcefully toward the platform and propped her hands into the cuffs dangling from the towers' chains. They then each took daggers and slashed at her clothing. May shut her eyes, afraid they were going to cut her. However, she wasn't hurt, but her clothes fell away like petty pieces of cloth. They then removed her shoes and socks leaving her naked in the dungeon. The chains that binded her arms did not allow her to cover herself.

"What the heck is going on?" May screamed, horrified and humiliated.

"Time for a lesson in Angelic culture, my daughter," Norman began, this time his tone was even but grave. "Have you ever heard of a Seven Day's Trial?"

May drew a blank on the term.

"When an Angel is in danger of becoming Fallen, they are put through the Seven Day's Trial as a last resort. For seven days, you will remain in this dungeon without food or water or anything. You will stand there and repent on your sins. If God forgives you for your sins, then you will live. If He doesn't forgive you…then you'll just die."

May's eyes welt up in helpless tears.

"But I don't understand! I did what you said! I killed him! I killed the Demon!"

"No, you did not!" shouted Norman. "I wanted solid proof that you had killed him so I had asked two Undercover Angels to retrieve his body. However, neither one of them returned. Instead I find two of my best men torn to shreds – we were almost unable to identify them. That's dirty work…work that can only be done by a powerful Demon."

May lowered her head. A small thread of happiness wrapped itself into her chest – Drew was alive, and apparently well.

"And besides…I knew your motif right from the start when you took Sindarkka instead of Sunilluma. You are the daughter of the High Priest – that couldn't have been a mistake."

Slight tones of remorse floated in and out of Norman's voice, but May was not listening anymore. The elders left her to her days in the dungeon. May hung there, with her knees bent underneath her and her hands raised over her head, held by the metal cuffs. She began to shiver and her skin began to form goosebumps. The young Angel covered herself with her wings, but it did not do much.

Norman murmured to himself, "God help you, my daughter."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Night had fallen like a brick after Drew's "trip". He had stayed on the building's ledge until the moon had shown its pale face and even then he was reluctant to move. Forcing himself, the Demon spread his wings and was lost in the night air.

He glided swiftly and quietly, dodging eyes and illuminated lampposts. When he arrived at the docks, he paused for a moment. He anticipated the hell he was about to walk into, but it was for the better – the sooner he got this over with, the sooner he and May could leave. Folding his wings, he silently walked into his home warehouse. As usual, the eerie light bulb did all it could to brighten the kitchen, when all it really did was color the kitchen a Halloween orange-brown.

Despite the light, Harley was not sitting at the table or attempting to make something edible. Only a few Pokemon were there and they did little to greet him – only Flygon looked up to acknowledge his presence. Drew left them to explore the rest of the dwelling.

It did not take long to find the flamboyant Demon as his laughter was unmistakable and Drew could not fathom what could be so amusing in that dump of a place. Harley's room glowed the same orange as the kitchen, except it was brighter. The light spilled out into what Drew figured passed as a hallway. Rounding the bend into Harley's room, Drew stopped in the door-opening. The room was small, lined with old cabinets Harley had been collecting. He put newspaper articles and other, shinier findings within them. In the middle of the room, the older Demon sat playing with his Ariados so innocently on an old mattress. Harley was scratching its abdomen, and the spider seemed to chirp in delight at this show of affection. Harley then let out his own giggle and hugged his giant arachnid.

"Why, hello, Drew! Care to join? You'd never think Ariados could be so fuzzy!" Harley gushed.

"No…that's okay," Drew answered indifferently.

Harley raised his eyebrows.

"Something's on your mind, I know it. I expected to get a snotty or witty reply out of you…but your tone is so dull and void of character! So tell me – what's ailing you so?"

Ariados crawled off the bed and onto the wall, knowing its time was done. Harley did not acknowledge this movement and kept his sea foam-colored eyes fixated on Drew in a half concerned, half ogled way.

Drew folded his arms, unable to come out with it. Harley waited, but then decided he was no good at that.

"Come on, out with it!" Harley pushed. "You know, I haven't seen a lot of you lately. You never come home anymore and when you are home you barricade yourself in your room! I'd like to know what's going on in the world…how is it out there?"

"Bad."

"Bad? How so? I mean…what could be so bad? At least you get to go see the city! I'd kill to go window shopping – just once! But no – the only time I get to go out is if I go street performing! I can't even do that anymore. Did I tell you I almost set the park on fire?"

Harley began to pout, feeling sorry for himself. Drew rolled his eyes.

"Listen, I came back to tell you that you need to leave."

Harley paused for a second, trying to take in what the other Demon had said. "Leave?"

"Yes…leave."

"But why? There's no danger."

"Yeah, there is – the Angels are on to us. They…they know about me, and I let them carelessly. I have a way to get out, but I figured before I left, I'd do you a favor and warn you in advance. If they know I'm here, they'll suspect there are more Demons."

Harley was not looking him in the eye. Instead he stared off beyond the other Demon in a broken sort of way.

"I have an idea of how they could have found out, but I'm not gonna ask. No, I'm not. I don't want to talk about it."

Harley's voice was just beyond a whisper and the nuance beyond his words was a heartbroken one, along with intuition on Drew's affairs with the Angelic female he had run into little over a month ago.

"One question, though, darling, how do you propose I 'leave'?" Harley challenged. "Where am I to escape to? Yes, maybe I could walk toward the ends of Outskirt for the rest of my life, but it'd only be a matter of time before some bastard vampire makes note of my departure and reports me to those Angelic cops. Oh yes, very promising."

Drew sat down on the springboard mattress. He had never really felt anything toward Harley until that moment and even then it was only pity. Yet another death would be caused by him inadvertently – he did not intend for this to happen, he had not cared.

"It's not like I can try my hand at anything else except 'stay here and hope for the best!' I don't have great wings like you," Harley continued. "To think I lived a pretty shitty life and then it ends in the worst way possible – death by Angel – how pathetic can it get?"

"I don't know," Drew answered dryly. "You've been pathetic for a good portion of your life anyway."

"It's disgraceful!" Harley corrected himself, even though it was too late to erase Drew's awful comment. "I waited my entire life for the rest of the clan to return, and this is what I get! They probably forgot about us!"

"Who said they were coming back?"

"They did! When the time was right…but who knows when that is? Ugh…forget it!"

Drew stared at the man for a moment and then made a motion to leave, attempting to get off the bed and proceed with his plan to pick up May. Harley grabbed his arm and pulled him back onto the bed, embracing him into a tight hug. Drew did not return it, but did not fight back either for he was deep in thought.

Harley started to complain, "Don't leave me! Please? If you're going somewhere, why can't I come, too? I won't be a bother! Okay…maybe I would be…but if you have it in you to warn me maybe you can let me come along?"

"I can't… Find your own way out."

"You find me a way out!" Harley snapped. "I've stressed all other-"

Drew curtailed him as he quickly moved the man's long, violet locks to expose his vulnerable neck. In an instant, Drew punctured the older Demon's throat with long canines. Harley did tell him to find him a way out, Drew had decided. Choking on blood, Harley dug his nails into Drew's back, not in a defensive way, but in surprise and stinging pain. Harley coughed and gagged until he found his composure in the thought that, even though Drew was killing him, he was holding him tightly in place against his body.

The older Demon began to shake as the poison took effect and blood poured from the wounds Drew still sunk his teeth into.

"You're…so good," Harley whispered as he tried to stay conscious. However, his mind was going and with each passing second his vision became obscured and faded. His body made a large convulsion, causing him to fall backwards into the pillows of his mattress. He twitched and squirmed, dying slowly, yet at peace somehow. A smile spread onto his face and Drew could tell he no longer had any comprehension of what was going on.

"If…if I know…then…then they know!" Harley whispered demonically, his mouth painted red with his own blood. He choked. "They know!"

Drew tilted his head in confusion as Harley's spirit finally languished from the dying body. Drew got up and stood poised over the Demon who still twitched and gagged. As soon as the body became limp, Drew felt the aftermath of what he had done. Yet again he had killed one of his own. He then argued with himself – what would have become of Harley had he not killed him? Surely, Drew suspected that Harley preferred his slow painful death at the hands of a house mate over an Angel's torture.

Drew left Harley to bleed out and opened all the doors of the dwelling so that the Pokemon inside could leave. Flygon followed him out, and after a short goodbye, spread its wings and flew straight toward Outskirt. Besides that, Drew did not see any of the other Pokemon. Wherever Roselia was, he wished her luck as he spread his own wings and sped towards Lightie territory.

Harley's last phrases repeated themselves in Drew's mind. They knew? Who knew? The Angels? What did they know? Was it about…the plan?

…

Landing on May's balcony, Drew hesitated. Her room was dark inside and although as a Demon he had no sense for life, something did not seem right. It was very late at night, so perhaps she was getting some rest before their great journey. Drew knocked on the glass pane with the crook of his wing. No answer. He tapped it again, this time with a little more force, but it was the same result: May did not answer. Harley's last words replayed themselves yet again, for the hundredth time now since he had first taken flight that night, but now they were louder:

"If I know…then they know!"

And then it hit him. Harley was not in a daze, he was telling him something. The older Demon expected the Angels to be smarter than they looked. Drew swallowed. Did May get caught because of him? Though the fault could not fully be laid on his shoulders, he felt that it most definitely had been. The Angels would do anything to split them up and as Drew jumped from his perch back into the dark, midnight sky, he could only guess where those monsters in disguise were keeping her.

Drew landed on a rooftop, the moon casting bright rays of light on the city and against him like a spotlight. His silhouette could probably be seen from any point in the Lightie territory. Instead of seeing it as a disadvantage, he forced it to be useful. From his perch he could see all of the Lightie area. The Angel main house was easy to spot further in the distance, but the rest of the city was a blur before it. The only other thing that stuck out as perfectly was the ominous church a few blocks down. Its towers and cage-like structure gave it away as a potential place for ambush – what better place to slay a dark creature of hell than in holy iron?

Once again, Drew was off, this time straight for the church. As he flew, he felt a wave of uneasiness move over him. He did not like the building – it seemed to either drag him in, repel him, or do all of that at the same time in indecision. Landing on the slanting, iron roof, Drew began to focus his senses. His eyes were wide, his ears perked up for the slightest twitch, and his nose taking in all the clues it could from the air. Upon the roof, the four towers of the church loomed over him in a holy scolding. He was a hell child and not welcomed in the so-called sanctuary they hid from society. But Drew could sense something terrible at work there below him, as if Sindarkka had suddenly released all of its evil. It stressed the young Demon's senses to ignore it and search for May's scent or voice.

Finally getting a strong whiff of her familiar soft scent from the eastern tower, Drew quickly dashed towards it. He did not stop and broke the glass, cone top of the tower. Glass flew around him and fell past him as he gripped the sides of the vertical tunnel. Looking down he could see May chained and cuffed to the rectangular pillars at her sides. Leaping down from the wall, he glided smoothly and landed on the pillar to her left.

She appeared frozen in place like a porcelain statue – her skin seeming smooth but flushed of its natural color unattractively. May's body was made to sit upright against her will; the cuffs locked on her wrists did not allow her arms to rest as she kneeled down on her knees helplessly. Chilly drafts swept through the cavern every so often and the surprisingly humid atmosphere was not helping the young Angel's situation.

"Who goes there?" yelped a familiar voice hidden behind one of the stone walls. Fast footsteps could be heard pitter-patting against the floor. Drew looked up, tiredly distracted by the noise. The Angel that appeared almost pleased Drew – it was none other than Ash, and he was alone as far as Drew could see or smell.

As soon as the male Angel figured out a Demon was perched on one of the pillars in May's cell, he quickly unlocked the iron-barred door and rushed in, pulling a large dagger from its sheath. It was not a special dagger, but a sharp object nonetheless. It would have certainly given the Angel an upper hand had he or Drew challenged a fight. But Ash was hesitant as Drew hissed in a way that foretold a bloody end for his long-term adversary. However, that was not what Ash was thinking about mostly. It was May. As a friend, Ash did not believe May deserved this kind of punishment and so slipped his dagger back into its sheath.

Drew quirked an eyebrow. "I figured you came running to chase me away or kill me…but now what are you doing?"

The Demon jumped from his perch, no longer feeling any threat. Ash moved past him and examined May.

"She stopped struggling a while ago," the Angel noted quietly, "If she stays any longer, she'll definitely die." Ash dug into his pocket and took out a key ring that was loaded with different keys – one for each cell and then some, Drew noted. "I was put in charge as some sort of first-hand experience for when I become High Priest," Ash told Drew as he unlocked May's cuffs. "I know now I'd never be able to take the job the way our current High Priest and Elders run it."

The second cuff unlocked and May's arms weakly fell to her sides. Drew caught her before she hit her head on the stone platform. Even through his clothing, Drew could feel how frightfully cold May was and how miniscule her breathing had become. Taking off his coat, Drew wrapped May up and held her close as a means to warm her up.

"I don't know where you can go or how you'll hide when this news breaks out – just make sure she lives," Ash urged. "I will stay back and make it look like you took her by force."

"Covering your own ass?" Drew asked with a dull sense of resentment for the Angel.

"It's the only way for me to escape and then help you both further. Things will begin to get ugly – I'm sure you feel it too. I'm ready to help you start a chain reaction that will change the way this city is governed. As this city's top minority…I'm pretty sure that was your first intention."

Drew smirked, "You're not as oblivious as I thought."

Without further conversation, Drew spread his wings. Flapping his wings broadly, he lifted himself off the ground and then proceeded to fly back up the tower. Through the broken glass from whence he came, Drew made a mad dash for the warehouses by the docks.

He contemplated flying across the ocean anyway, even with May unconscious in his arms. But he declined. The oceanic winds would surely worsen her conditions and to his dismay, even the flight to the docks had tired him. He cursed at himself on his weakness, but there was just no way he would have been able to carry May while fighting strong sea gusts.

So he settled for a warehouse far from his original home – Warehouse fourteen.


	14. Chapter 13

Chap 13

It was not until the next day that Norman decided to descend into the church dungeons to check on May. He had felt a bit of remorse last night, especially after Caroline had berated him on his actions. However, he had managed to assure her it was the best decision, for the good of the clan, though neither of them really bought it.

However, the minute he saw the empty chamber, the shackles undone, the hole in the ceiling cone, and his future son-in-law unconscious up against the stone wall, all of those regrets vanished like freed apparitions. He knelt down and began shaking Ash in a panic.

"Ash! Wake up! Where is May?" he demanded, though the answer was already clear to him.

Ash awoke with a start from the shaking and sudden, loud noises. He was unable to speak for a moment as he processed exactly what was going on. Norman's eyes were burning into his, almost penetrating his soul and Ash stammered, doing the best he could with the situation. "Um…uh…" Was the right thing to tell Norman Drew broke in and that he helped in the escape of a good friend? Or was the better thing to twist that truth, as May had instructed?

"No need to speak. It must have knocked you out while trying to steal my daughter. Isn't that right?" Norman asked suddenly.

Ash nodded. It was best for Norman to assume his own stories.

"Any idea where they could have gone?"

Ash shook his head – he was honest about that. Unlike Norman, though, he wished them well, wherever they were. He heard the older Angel sigh in frustration.

"Can you stand?" Norman asked, looking back at him with concern and even helping the younger Angel to his feet.

Ash pretended to stumble, but was eventually "all right", and, supported by Norman, left the chamber into the dark tunnel.

"Where…are we going?" Ash inquired.

"I will drop you off with your mother and then I am going to the Angel Main House," Norman answered in a distant tone. He was looking ahead instead of in Ash's face, and the younger Angel could tell May and Drew's actions had broken the last straw.

Ash spoke again, "Is it possible that…the Demon…took her to Outskirt?"

Norman paused at that suggestion, but then quickly brushed it off as nothing. "No…as the next High Priest you should know this: Demons are not stupid, but they think we are. They do reside in this city somewhere, I just haven't cared about it until now."

"I thought you banished them to Outskirt?"

Ash was confused but Norman seemed confident about what he was saying.

The stairs to the main floor of the church had been left open and Norman helped Ash up the old, creaking landings. On the stage, Norman finally turned toward his young successor, looking him straight in the face.

"We did…the whole council that is. It was an agreement. We agreed not to kill them all, but instead, they could find somewhere else to thrive outside Metropolis." Norman paused again, thinking of his past actions and shaking his head regretfully. "But, I'm not stupid. I knew they were still here – I had a gut feeling about it…but…the council had told me not to worry about it. The war was over and not a Demon had attacked a Light since my law was passed, so I forgot about it.

But now…they are either back or showing themselves for the first time in two decades, and they must think they can retake the city…well, I say let them. I hope every single one of them comes back so that I have a good reason for taking them all out like I had wanted the first time."

Norman had begun to walk away as Ash followed just behind him. The older Angel did not notice, but Ash had put on a disgusted face. He finally saw exactly what May had discovered – the black insides of their lineage. However, he knew the most important thing discovered then was that he wanted nothing to do with it.

…

Drew's eyes were burning from lack of sleep. He had stayed up all night trying to warm May back up and save her life before the fragile thing flitted away. Her fingers and shoulders were still icy, but besides that, Drew figured himself successful in her resuscitation – she was breathing normally and the color in her skin had come back somewhat. She was still asleep though, resting her head just under his chin and her back against his chest. He had crossed his arms over her and folded in his legs, creating the only warm place for her the warehouse had to offer, all on top of a used mattress Drew had found.

He resisted looking at her, because he knew it would only end in Lust's full arrival. Right now it only knocked on the door, and appeared as blush across Drew's face as May began to move in her sleep. He looked toward the depressed floor just ahead of the mattress where it seemed as though a small, contaminated sea created its own, metal shore there. Steel columns penetrated the surface, but in all, the water was placid, as if it were a thick film draped over the metallic flooring. Just to Drew's left was a cave-in where the ceiling seemed to have fallen years ago, all sharp and jagged yet, artistic in a dark, secretive way. To the right was the way out – another cave-in of ceiling and scrap metal, but the light of day could be seen pouring through some unseen opening.

Drew finally looked down as May began to move more than she had that entire night, like a baby bird hatching from its egg – frustrated and still too weak to perform what she wanted. Her eyes shot open, taking in what was happening and then broke free of Drew's clutch. She quickly moved to the other side of the mattress, her face full of surprise and what seemed like fear.

"You…you…pervert!" was the first thing from May's mouth.

"Wow…that's the last time I save you," Drew said, looking away from her.

She was naked after all, and Drew would have given anything, at that moment, for a priceless peek – just one, even if she was doing all she could to cover up.

"Save me?"

"Yes…save. You were dying in a dungeon underneath the church…which is actually funny and really not surprising now that I think about it."

May's face was a blank. She had honestly forgotten the entire thing either out of trauma or some other not so delightful feeling. But as Drew did his best to recall her memory, the pictures came back and her expression turned into one of sorrow.

"Oh…" she murmured. "And here I thought it was all a really bad dream."

"No…it wasn't. Those Angels are sick…even by my standards."

"You have standards?"

"Some…not many." It was silence after that, and the awkwardness filled the room like a poisonous gas. Drew took off his trench coat and threw it to her. "You…really should cover up."

May took it graciously, and put it on. Her small frame easily got lost in it, but it was warm and comfortable. She zippered it up and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "S-so where are we?"

"Warehouse fourteen," Drew answered.

"Could have just said "some warehouse"," May told him.

"Oh, I'm sorry…you've never lived around here!"

"Oh, excuse me!"

"Yes, excuse you. This is actually one of the best places to hide, considering from the outside it looks like the complete opposite. Besides, this is my lucky spot…other than Jack's bar, that is."

May tilted her head. "Fourteen's a lucky number?"

Drew quirked an eyebrow and then laughed at her. "Um, no. In reality, this would be the thirteenth building, but you know those mortals and their unlucky numbers. They think that if they print a fourteen instead of a thirteen on the building that that will miraculously change the luck status-quo. But, that has nothing to do with it. I often went here to get away from Harley and Kelly when they were being too ridiculous and Jack's wasn't that great to be at either."

May nodded, only slightly remembering who Harley and Kelly were.

"What? You forget already?" Drew asked, noticing May's confused expression. "The two other Demons you met over the last month. Anyway…we missed our night to get out of here…we'll have to live here until the tides change again next month."

May nodded. She could tell Drew was trying to lighten the mood, acting as if the unspeakable had not occurred or that the misfortune that plagued them did not exist. She was staring at the area of mattress in front of Drew, focusing on a small clump of fluff that had been scraped from it. The gray color seemed to blur as she thought about her clan. Were they all that spiteful? Enough to throw her into a dungeon and not even give a friend she trusted a chance to show his true colors? She wondered if only she and the other young Angels were unaware of that.

…

Norman had arrived at the Angel Main House, his face stern. Things were about to get ugly.

Walking out of the elevator as its ominous bell chimed its soon departure, he took long strides to make it into the meeting room. Without knocking, Norman opened the door, startling the old councilmen inside, their faces expecting a dire intrusion.

"That thing came last night," Norman reported.

His father nodded from the farthest chair, "Yes, we know. We suspected it would."

"Well, what the hell does it want with my daughter?" Norman demanded, leaning over the table, desperate for an answer to this madness. "Any bad vibes? Anything at all?"

"We've been sensing some trouble approaching us, but it feels very far away – it's not close enough to be about your daughter," answered an elder to his right.

Norman's fists clenched, "What are you talking about? I'm starting to worry about your accuracy! You sensed no danger last time I was here, and yet there's a Demon loose in the streets brainwashing my daughter! How is that not dangerous?"

"It only gets as dangerous as you allow it to get," mumbled his father, Eldest.

"What are you planning to do, High Priest?" spoke up another elder, this time to the left.

Norman paused. He was afraid to speak his mind on this matter, since for a moment, he felt wrong and uneasy about it. "I-I'm going to claim a fallen-Angel situation."

A few of the elders gasped at his decision. There had not been a case like this in many years and they knew for sure right then and there that Norman was desperate.

"Are you-"

"Yes! We must kill them both! For the sake of our clan's peaceful future here!"

…

May lay on her back and stared up at the metal ceiling over her in a daydream daze. All was quiet around her – the only sounds were the plip-plops of water droplets dripping somewhere deep within the pile of metallic scrap to her left. The evening sun's rays were filtered through the ceiling, illuminating the warehouse to a dark, auburn glow and the sound of Yanma buzzing around the dock outside kept her from falling asleep.

She wondered about her mother and brother – how were they taking the news that she was missing on purpose? How did they feel that she had run away with a Demon of all things?

Her thoughts were interrupted by footsteps entering her hiding place. Knowing the footsteps well, she paid no mind as the figure appeared before her and sat on the hard ground. He dropped a plastic bag onto the mattress.

"I love it when delis leave their back doors open," Drew said, smug and proud of himself for getting the better of two Goblins running their own joint.

Days had passed since May and Drew's escape from the dungeon, and now they were lazily awaiting the day the tides lowered enough for them to try to the escape plan once again. For now, they spent their days in hiding – only Drew went out to get food.

"Yanno, I saw an Undercover Angel today, out in the open," Drew said, removing a bagel from the plastic bag he had brought. "Wings and everything. They were interviewing people to see if they saw us anywhere."

Drew took a bite from the bagel and laughed. "Stupid mortals think they're cosplaying! Ha!"

"I knew they'd look for us," May murmured, nettled. "He just won't stop."

"He? Your dad?"

"Yeah."

She narrowed her eyes. She had been wondering if it was all really worth it to her father – to constantly come after her about something so petty. She did not understand the severity of her crimes.

"They probably want to kill us," May murmured again, taking a bite from a bagel of her own. Drew stopped chewing.

"Seriously? This whole thing is that serious?"

May nodded.

"Why?"

The Angel shrugged. She then bit her top lip, her eyebrows squeezing the bridge of her nose. Everything seemed to be falling apart like dominoes on a tilted table. A tear escaped her eyes and streaked down her cheek. Drew reached forward and wiped it away with his thumb, while cradling her face with the other four fingers, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Come on now," he joked, "You're acting like they're standing right behind me."

"It's almost like someone doesn't want us to get away. It feels like we're trapped."

Drew had nothing to say to that as he could not agree more. They had risked so much over the last month just to be together – the sneaking, the hiding, and the plans of escape from the irons bars that apparently surrounded Metropolis. And yet, even with all the trouble of having to wait for the tides to sink again, they were still trying.

Drew leaned even more forward. Rolling onto his knees, he kissed the Angel. May quickly made the blessing into an event, as she opened her mouth on that invitation and wrapped her arms around his neck.

…

It was getting dark now, the evening sun already set behind the ocean's horizon. The dark shadows of the night had begun to overpower the white rays in a natural beauty.

They came together again, this time Drew pinned her against a flat, solid portion of the fallen metal the spring-board mattress sat against. Feeling free in the darkness, they allowed things to escalate and quicken, though, to the lovers it only seemed to be moving in slow motion.

Drew held May's body close to him, and ventured away from her lips toward her neck where he felt a drive coming from a side of himself that had never before expressed itself so boldly. His vampiric instincts had seemed to become more excited as he took hold of the coat collar and removed it to reveal May's neck and right shoulder. Opening his mouth, he moved his fangs over the area of skin until he felt confident enough to apply more pressure. Sinking his shortest fangs into her flesh, he felt May tense up in his arms, though, no opposition arose from her. It was just a taste, and it was something Drew felt the need to perform. The blood flow was hardly anything snip at, and he lapped up the few drops of blood that did emerge from the punctures. The blood had a thick taste of iron in his mouth, but then something more. He had always been able to identify victims by the taste and smell of their blood, and now he was doing the same with May, only more romantically than the struggling that was usually included in a full feeding. She now seemed to really belong to him. The lacerations on her neck were proof of that.

Things were almost primitive, like two creatures only doing what needed to be done as articles of clothing were lost and the breathing became heavy. Drew went on to remove his coat from his mate's body to expose all of her beauty. She tried to cover herself, unsure of what she was allowing, but the Demon refused to let her think on it. He pressured her onto her back, and gently persuaded her to calm down and join him in this new kind of embrace.

After a brief session of these small persuasions, May engaged herself in this act and things began to move faster. As May lay on her back, perspiring and sighing, she knew this was right, just as right as their first kiss on their rooftop. Being overpowered by the darkness did not seem as bad as what the other Angels had always told her. What did they know anyway? May lay limp, her legs and wings sprawled out from either side weakly, covering the old mattress with feathers. She was naked again in Drew's arms, and this time, she refused to cover up.

…

The Balcony Room was quiet as the Elders sat in prayer, silent as mice. The room was dark, save for one light bulb that remained illuminated on a small desk to the far, upper right corner.

Norman had left hours ago in a fury and they all suspected that, despite his good side, he had decided to go through with exterminating his own flesh and blood. Eldest shivered in his chair thinking about it. He wondered what could possibly come out of a slaying such as that one.

Eldest gasped suddenly, disturbing the others from their prayer.

"Eldest?" asked one of the elders, concerned.

The old Angel shook his head, the thin bones in his wings becoming stiff and agitated.

"I fear…" he began, "That a new age will arise upon us."

"It was the wave, was it not?"

"I felt that wave," Eldest spoke louder. "It was quite a big one. Does anyone remember what exactly happened those twenty years ago?"

"We banished the Demon, sir," answered an Angel to his side.

Eldest nodded, "But not only that. We banished Underworld, the source of all deadly sins."

There was chatter across the table.

"And the way it was banished…who would have guessed? With any spell there's always a back door…and Underworld's back door is 'hate spawned from love'."

"What? What do you mean, sir?"

"That was the wave, sir?"

"I felt it, too."

Eldest folded his elbows and brought his bony hand to his chin where he evaluated his thoughts. It had been so long since he had been struck by such a surge of new life before, such a strange one too. It almost felt like darkness and light were fusing and mixing together. But how could that be? Light overpowers darkness, makes it cower behind things. Yet, this feeling was one all too different. Black and white were becoming gray and blurred.

"There has always been hate between Demons and Angels – since the dawn of time. But now…I feel that my granddaughter has brought our two families together. There is love…spawning from age-old hate and hate will spawn from this new love…I guarantee it."


	15. Chapter 14

Chap 14

Weeks passed like minutes and both May and Drew lost track of time. Lost track of the outside world that was still looking for them with no avail. Surely those predators would reach the warehouse sooner or later and by then, only feathers and a tattered mattress would be left in their wake – the prey long gone to fly across the never-ending ocean.

Norman had not stopped his search. Each abandoned tenement in Darkie territory caused him a new pain and a new search warrant. It was killing him inside how long all of this was taking. He had felt a wave of energy strike him weeks ago, but unlike the senior elders, he had no idea what it meant, only that it was bad, in his opinion.

As for his prey, May and Drew lived lazy lives and chattered and sinned together in their temporary concrete home. Their love only grew stronger with each conversation, each kiss, each thrust. But as the days progressed, May noticed a change in Drew. He was becoming slower and became less and less interested in her. But it wasn't because his love was running out.

"I hate being a vampire," he noted one day. "I need blood like a smoker needs a butt two days after quitting."

May laughed at that remark before moving her hair out of the way to reveal her neck to him. There were already bite marks there, three pairs at least. Drew looked away with a fiendish grin, knowing he could not help himself to her taste. However, those were love bites, and gave him no sustenance at all.

"That's very generous of you," he said, giggling sort of, trying not to undermine her kindness. "But I need to have a real fill. If I really feed off you, you could die or become a vampire."

She shrugged. Apparently, being an Angel did not matter to her anymore, but Drew still refused. Her white wings – they were one of the things he liked about her and, though he sometimes did not like to admit it, he liked to be the one biting, not the one bitten.

"Then I guess you'll go out later," May said, letting her hair go.

Drew nodded, though he did not feel very easy about it. Drew turned his head quickly as he heard someone coming. They were Angels, he deducted, but he did not hear them come any closer. They were probably taking a whiff of the front door.

The Angels sure were persistent, and every once in a while one would wander over to their neck of the city, like Drew heard them now. The intruders would walk around, smell Drew's scent and take it for a werewolf's den. Drew would then snicker, and tell May that the most primitive things worked best.

Drew was confident the mask would hold, however, he knew it would only take time until they figured out the difference…or brought it back with them somehow and had an older Angel identify it as one hundred percent, Demon urine. To the untrained nose, all Darkie excrements smelled the same – like death. However, because Drew was actually alive the scent would be different.

"Told you," Drew said, looking at May with a grin as he heard them walk off.

"It's still gross," May replied.

…

It took some coaxing from May before Drew finally left that night to find a victim. Drew walked into the city instead of flying. The moon was bright, and surely the Angels would be pulling all-nighters to find him. Thinking of this, a rush of adrenaline flooded up into his chest. Though he did not act on it, he noted it. Something was not right, and if he had not needed blood as badly as he did, he knew he would not be out on the streets.

The dark, vampire tenements loomed over him, empty for the whole legion had left for the night's feast. The unfortunate thing about the vampire side of town was that it was easier finding a vampire than a human. Being a much bigger predator, Drew did not mind if he caught a vampire or two – the real challenge was finding one that had already feasted.

Approaching an open alley-way, Drew could hear feet shifting and quickened breath just beyond the corner. A vampiric ambush, Drew thought. He also playfully deducted what kind it would be – with all the noise, surely it was a young vamp on his first, maybe third night alone.

Walking past the alley, Drew waited for the strike, which hit him from behind and sent him crashing to the floor. Drew giggled at this child-like behavior as a very young, female vampire got on top of him and hissed, her fangs elongating before she made a viper-like strike to his neck. Drew caught her just in time, though, and, seeing blood stains on her lips, took this opportunity to turn the tables. His strength was overkill on her, and quickly pushed her to the ground and laid his weight on her. Immobilized and now terrified, the young vamp watched as Drew sank his own teeth into her. She cried out, but choked on her own blood. Drew had punctured her windpipe. Though her blood tasted alien to him, like dust mixed with iron, he drank it as if it were the finest wine.

"A vampire!" cried a man's voice from across the street.

Drew's eyes shot open, glowing green, fearing the worst. The man was not a man, but an Angel with a partner. Drew grumbled, letting go of the corpse, cursing his correct suspicions.

"We're looking for something much more frightening than you, but while we're here, we might as well lower the vampire population by one."

Drew backed up. He still felt weak - the vampire's blood had not been enough.

"We haven't got any stakes, but surely a knife could fit through your heart," said one of the Angels as he unsheathed a dagger by his side.

Drew clenched his teeth. No matter what, he'd have to kill them both. He was trapped in the alley and the only way out was up, not to mention he had to unfold his wings in order to fight two at once. His wings morphed out from his back and revealed to the Angels that he was the "more frightening thing" they were looking for.

"Well, what do ya know?" said one, pleased with the turn of events.

They lunged at him, both with daggers. They were faster than Drew expected and his low energy was not helping. The Angels swung around him, surrounding him from behind and in front. Flailing his wings, Drew ungracefully threw a pointed wing towards the Angel in front…and missed. Instead, the Angel caught his wing and sliced it open with his dagger.

"To think we went through some extra training just to fight you," said one of them. Now that both were behind him, the only ground exit was open. Drew backed up towards the street needing more room for his fairly large wings. Fortunately for Drew, he was not alone for long. He heard a flutter of demonic wings and a deep voice spoke out. "You will have to fight with me as well, then."

Drew took his eyes off his opponents to look up to where the voice had spawned from. Up above on the roof beside the alley was a tall figure. His body was lean and attractive, clothed in a purple suit blackened in the shadow of the moonlight. His eyes twinkled behind a mask of shadow over his face and in the cool night breeze his long blonde hair wavered behind him like an epic cape. Of course, his most notable feature was his large, black, skin wings. Drew figured this Demon sported a wingspan close if not longer than his own. That was not all – the wings also sported three large claws on them.

"Another?" murmured one of the Angels uneasily.

The new demon took no more time for chit-chat. In a flash he swooped, fast like a bullet but as quiet as floating paper. Stabbing both Angels with the large claws ornamented on his wings, he pinned them to the wall. Blood spurted from their chests where the demon struck them. He then ripped his claws out and both Angels fell to the ground, dead and completely silent. For Drew it was almost like watching it deaf, for not a sound was uttered by the demon's victims, nor did this incredibly powerful creature say anything more.

The Demon turned around to look at Drew whom was wobbly on his feet from lack of energy. Breathing hard, Drew tried desperately to speak, to move, to do something, but he ended up falling to ground as well in exhaustion like a car pointed at "empty".

…

When Drew awoke again, he felt warmth. Flickering his eyes, he saw the ceiling above him was a lavish golden color, brightened by the flames of many candles. Their sweet scents wafted past his nose, and for once in a long while he felt at peace. He lay on something soft and comfortable. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his chest to expand to its limit and then exhaled.

"Oh!" cried a small voice. "You're…awake!"

Drew turned his head to face her, his green eyes not open all the way. She gave a yelp and scuttled to the wall behind her, her face flushed in red.

"I was taking care of your wounds!" she said shakily.

Drew sat up to get a better look at her. She had dull red hair that fell just to her shoulders and curled there elegantly. Her eyes were a different green than his, mixed with aqua. She was fifteen at best, and wore a gothic, black dress similar to an aristocratic vampire. The little Demon had very short wings that were spread behind her in a nervous way.

"My – my name's Brianna! I've never seen you before but I figured if I could help out our leader I could-"

The young Demon was cut off by another, this one much older and lovelier. She, too, wore a black dress – this one more form-fitting to her curves and decorated with white buttons across her chest and down the front of the gown. Her arms were sleeveless, so to compensate, she wore onyx bracelets and metal rings. Long, brilliant orange locks of hair followed her elegant head and was folded behind her ears, tame and out of her bright blue eyes. Wings certainly Drew's length were folded neatly and calmly behind her.

"Brianna, there's no need to be nervous. He may not be of our clan, but he is still a Demon."

The orange-haired Demon sat next to Drew with a wave of maternal bliss and air to her, yet a provocative sense as well. She spoke again, calmly and slowly. "Our leader, Robert, found you an hour ago. We were sure you'd die!" She exuberated the same sense of peace as the room did. "We've taken care of you since then. You've been given the blood of the Angels our leader triumphantly slaughtered – be honored."

"Thank you," came Drew's voice, weaker than he had anticipated. "I appreciate the kindness – but I really need to be going."

"You are safe here, I hope you realize," the Demon said.

"Saori, does he know where we are?" asked Brianna. The older Demon looked at her and then turned back to Drew, ready to inform her.

"I don't think he does," said Saori, the orange-haired Demon. She leaned toward Drew. "We are in the Vampire King's mansion. No Angel would dare look for you here."

"Yes, they would," Drew argued.

"Suit yourself, but you should really lie down. Your healing is not quite complete."

Drew did not take her advice. He sat and stared at the large, blood red cushion underneath him.

"So…I suppose you're one of the Demons we left behind, hm?" asked Saori, trying to start a conversation to calm him.

Drew looked at her in indifference, although it sent a chill up and down his spine. For weeks he had lived in solitude with his love and happiness in what seemed like a fairytale, a dream. All outside influences had been washed away and his past all but forgotten. Now the past was rushing back at him and its speed was not something he could evade.

Looking down at the cushion, he thought of Kelly and Harley for the first time in weeks. Their deaths…still so vivid and by his own wing and fang no less. No. They had not been killed by Angels, as one would think. No, by their own kind, their own family member. Of course, Drew argued inside himself, they were both caused by Angelic influence and their personal shortcomings.

"Where are the other two?" came the next question from Saori.

Drew swallowed, "They're dead."

"Dead?" Saori asked in wonder and shock. "How could that be?"

"I killed them – it was for our own protection," he said, and refused to go further. Even if it had been Angelic intervention that caused Drew to kill them, who's fault was that, especially in Harley's case? Surely Kelly's was of her own doing, but Harley…his death was solely Drew's fault and doing. Although he had pretty much loathed the man throughout his life, a useless death caused by oneself was something Drew's vampiric side did not like.

"I see," Saori murmured, knowing, almost psychically, that Drew had reasons he needed to stay covered up. "Then it seems you have no one left to care for…you should join us."

Drew's eyes widened. How long had it been since he left May? Much more than an hour…much more than three hours. The adrenaline shot into his chest again and this time, he acted on it. Getting up on his feet, he spread his wings and walked swiftly towards the wall where, behind the golden-brown couch and the silky, light red curtains, he saw the glass doors that led to a balcony.

"Where are you going? We need you for the invasion!" Saori tried to stop him. "Please stay! You can get your revenge on those Angels when the time is right!"

"That's not what I'm leaving for," Drew sternly said back. He opened the balcony doors and flew out. The Demon had voted against telling Saori he was not interested in the Demon clan's little plan of taking back the city. All his life he had known about it and his whole life he had been for it. It was only these last couple of months that the desire to take revenge on the race that had persecuted him for so long had begun to fizzle away. Yes, if the Demon clan took every last one of their lives, that was fine with Drew – after all, even if he did not plan on fighting as a soldier, he was more than happy to see the troublesome bunch leave the face of the earth and go back to their precious heaven or hell and stay there. However, the Demon clan might have taken that the wrong way, and Drew figured that at some point, he'd need them again.

For now, though, he was rushing back to the docks. His wings felt heavier with every flap and his muscles were tired, but still he pressed on. May was vulnerable by herself. As a civil, female Angel, she had no fighting skill at all. There was that chance the Angels already found their hiding spot. There was that chance they waited for him to leave before striking. There was that chance…

Drew arrived at the warehouse, completely exhausted. He dropped through the hole in the roof as he usually did after an outing. However, even in the slight light of the moon he could sense the presence of outsiders and a very heavy silence. His night vision kicked in and he could see the outsiders running swiftly towards him, daggers unsheathed, from beyond fallen concrete.

One jumped into the air, thinking it'd catch him off guard only to be sadly mistaken. Drew thrusted a sharp wing towards him and impaled it through a lung. Tossing the gasping thing to the ground, he felt the plumage of feathers run across his own wings before it left him and bounced off a hard wall onto the ground. So, the Angels had found May. Becoming furious, he struck the other opponent hard, bashing the Angel in the head with his other wing against the wall, crushing the skull. The eerie crack tickled something inside him, and he felt good doing so. The Angel fell to the ground.

The odor of Angelic blood intoxicated the whole warehouse and filled Drew's nose with bloodthirsty desire. However, he had to focus, and when he finally picked up on May's scent, that sweet scent of her blood, the two other Angels all but disappeared from his focus. He followed her scent to the mattress, not much more than a few steps away, past the wall that separated the pile of fallen concrete and the room he and the Angel shared.

The moonlight in their living room flooded in through the other hole in the ceiling. It created a spotlight over Drew's head and cast May and the mattress in darkness colored a navy blue and black. Dark patches of blood could be seen through Drew's night vision and a bloody footprint was printed before him in the spotlight. Drew held his mouth as he was presented with gore.

The mattress had turned a deep red, saturated in blood. Upon it lay May, still, cold, and white in the moonlight. Blood was smeared on her face and her eyes were wide in fear, like a doll's eyes – motionless, dead, eyes. What made Drew cough in disgust and utter misery was what had been done to her. She had been murdered…no…slaughtered, terribly. Her naked body lay sprawled out with her lower abdomen ripped open, exposing her insides in a twisted mass of flesh.

Drew knelt down in complete shock and inner agony. He touched her body, which was surprisingly not as cold as he had predicted. Moving her arm to her side, he realized she was not yet stiff in death and so, had only been dead for a few minutes.

Hoping that her soul was still nearby, he quickly bent down to her. Burying his face under her chin, he elongated his teeth and injected them into her skin. Becoming a vampire completely, he fed upon her, keeping his hand on her chest, eager to feel her lungs breath or her heartbeat. But her lungs did not inhale and her heart remained still. Instead all he felt was foolishness for having such high hopes.

He sat back on his knees, holding back the misery that promised to flow from his eyes. He lost her. He lost everything. Everything that was ever good in his life, he lost it all to those damn Angels.

"Fuck."

He looked up to the ceiling and whimpered.

"F…fuck."

But he was not completely hopeless. Drew was not one to get sad, especially when there was someone to blame. Yes, he blamed himself, but he blamed the Angels. He blamed the Demons. He blamed this stupid rivalry, that baseless hate. Love…it was much better to feel love than hate – he knew it from experience. If his heart, attacked by hatred all his life, could fit an Angel into its dark chambers, then so could any other Demonic heart. Becoming angry, he felt the weight of Wrath peaking in. He hated them all. He hated everyone.

"Fuck!"

He growled. Feeling Wrath seep in through his pores, it seemed, he growled. He gladly let the sin come in and take possession of his body, take control of the body the Demons wanted to have and the Angels wanted to destroy. Under the light of a full moon, in the midsts of a brutal murder, surrounded by blood, full of angst, he changed. Wrath took him.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

She heard him leave. The growling, the choking, the snarl of sharp teeth. May tried to move, tried to call out, but her breath had not yet returned and her muscles were not ready to move in life. She heard the great flap of his wings as he lifted himself into the air and zoomed out into the night. Feeling his wrath, she thought very hard about moving, but still, only a beat of her heart was all she could muster. He was gone too quickly.

Death had been frightening. There was a bright light, but then, the whole world turned black. Was God denying her or…was he even there to begin with? Was that light a figment of her imagination, or did it really exist only to tease her? Or was it a natural process only characterized in religion as the final resting place for good Angels? She wasn't sure, but the pain in her lower body still burned. How viciously she had been slain!

A breath suddenly dove into her lungs, her chest rising and then falling. There was a tingling sensation where the Angels had cut her open, as if a surgeon was sewing her back together or the area had just been asleep. Breathing heavily, she finally moved.

"Ah…" she struggled to get up. It was difficult to move after death, but still she struggled on. Her arms moved freely now, and she explored her naked body, which was still cold and clammy like a corpse. Following her belly down, her fingertips brushed against the spot where she had been cut, and found that only a scar remained now. Drew's vampiric powers were amazing, much more amazing than any healing spell she could have conjured up.

May lifted herself up, wrapping Drew's cloak around her, shaking, trying to get warm. She was alive again. Still cold, she folded her feathered wings around her for added warmth. However, as the wings moved to the front, she noticed something peculiar. No, it couldn't be the darkness of the warehouse making them that color. Blinking and squinting, May studied her wings, and deducted that the plumage had changed color, from bright white to a midnight black. Running fingers through the new feathers, she realized that with a life given back to her from a vampire, these sorts of things would happen. She quickly moved her fingers to her mouth, and found sharp canines had formed there.

Taking her fingers out of her mouth, she stood up shakily. Her wings felt heavy on her back and her feet felt too small, as if she would fall over. Still, she stepped forward and with each step onto that dark, concrete floor, she regained her balance. As she approached the fallen pile of concrete roof that blocked the only entrance and exit on ground level, she formed a destination for her free-moving feet.

The Angel main house. They would be there – the ones who ordered her demise. But, was it smart to travel there? After all, they wanted her dead. On the other hand, she wanted to show them what real life looked like. Demons and Angels – were they one in the same? They had been not too long ago inside her. Were they afraid of that fact? Were they afraid that their beliefs of evil Demons only turned around and looked at them?

She flew towards the grand building. Even if they tried to kill her, they would not be able to. She was a vampire now with all of the strengths of one. The clouds above her had not broken into sunlight yet, even though the sun was well over due for his arrival. Instead, a dark gray sky threatened rain and the wind whispered like a coy child.

As May landed on the balcony, she peered inside. The Elders, her father, and practically every other Angel were present. Her father was preaching to them as if he was a real priest and they clapped. May guessed he was telling them about the Fallen Angel situation, and how she, his daughter, had been slain, all for the good of their safety and the future of the clan. It was too bad, May thought, that he was wrong. She and Drew were alive, and though she did not know where her lover was, she was aware he was probably ripping apart any and all Undercover Angels he could find. And good riddance.

The rain began to trickle from the sky and the grumble of thunder rolled in the distance. Knowing the balcony doors, though, made of glass and twisted iron, were always left unlocked for the arrival of Angels from the sky, she walked in, as if invited to the party. The room grew silent as they saw her black wings and pale body still recovering from death.

Norman turned around surprised and almost feeling angry in his foolishness for thinking she was dead. "May? The Elders told me you had been exterminated. They felt your presence fade."

"Fade, yeah, but not completely gone."

"I see. So your Demonic sperm donor is partly vampiric, I assume?" He had caught a glance of her new fangs when she spoke. "It's not like that's hard to believe. The Demons had always soiled their blood with other, less-deserving species. It's disgusting…and to think my daughter – of all of the daughters in our clan – would partake in it!"

May bit her lip. She did not love him, this madman who, she believed, was not her father, anymore, she was sure of it. But his words…they stung her as if she still cared.

"Just look at what he's done!" Norman continued to scold his daughter. "He's ruined your life, if you can call this a life." He flailed his hand up and down towards her, mocking her. "He's sparked another war of hatred between our clans, he's taken my daughter, and he's taken advantage of your young mind and filled it with lies!"

May growled under her breath. Her thoughts were racing now, and she had completely recovered from death. Life and blood flowed through her veins and her eyes were no longer dilated. Showing her teeth, she yelled at her father, spoke back, like she had never done before and for everyone to hear.

"He sparked a war? All he's done is shown me how to live! If you haven't noticed father, you are the one who has sparked hatred in this clan. You're the one filling these Angel's heads with monstrous stories of how you had to kill me and Drew in order to save them from certain peril. But what peril? If the Undercover Angels had not told you anything, no one would have known! In reality, all Drew and I tried to do was live and be together. But it just bothered you too much, didn't it? That the next high priest would have black wings?"

"A Demon can't be a Priest! That's almost like asking Lucifer to come and be the Pope!"

"Always so prideful in our species, father, always. You did whatever you could to brainwash the rest of us into believing your lies! Demons are nothing like how you have our teachers portray in school. They are beautiful and misunderstood. You're the one who took advantage of my young mind!"

"Preposterous! All we've ever done was, try to protect you!"

"Well I didn't feel that when two of my clan came to murder me!"

May was becoming choked up. She had realized all of this in death. The real Demons in Metropolis…she had been living amongst them all this time. The Angels…did they not act like the Demons they portrayed to her? Sniveling little gremlins that did everything only for the good of themselves, even if that meant creating a new generation that believed every lie they ever spewed.

Norman had no response to May's last argument, but he did not feel defeated. Even in the plight of his struggle to keep the clan behind him, he was not threatened. Hate between Angels and Demons was customary…it was in their DNA. That was how it was for thousands of years, and the small, choking words from a Fallen Angel was not going to change that.

May backed up. She could see that the crowd behind her father could not hear her, or so it seemed. Their narrow eyes were like needles on her. It was hatred, but what for or why was beyond her. Her wings were black, but her voice and spirit remained the same. It was only her and yet, her new darkness made that much of a difference.

It was then an Angel burst through the opulent door of the Elder's pray room, and rushed toward Norman, almost tripping over himself in anxiousness. However, he did stop to take a glance at May, and then turned toward her father with urgent news. He was wet from rain and red liquid was smeared on his mail carrier-like clothing.

"My Priest! There is trouble downtown!" the Angel choked out. "A Demon has appeared!"

There was chatter amongst the other, background Angels. There voices were hushed, but their fear was apparent. Norman listened intently to his messenger.

"The Demon is large and taking down everyone. It is ruthless and difficult to control – many of our comrades have already fallen."

"Only one Demon?"

"We believe it's suffering from Wrath. Every time we shoot it, the bullet only burns and it comes after us like a truck! We can't stop it ourselves!"

May listened to the messenger, and right from the start she knew it was Drew. He did not know she was alive, and now he was suffering from a sin. There was no time to dwell on the fact that Drew had every right to be angry with the Angels. She whipped around towards the open, balcony doors. Downtown. That is where she needed to be.

"You stay right here, Demon!" Norman called after her, but May did not even turn around to give him a glance. Her main focus…her only focus was Drew's well-being. The rain was pouring now, and she swooped down from the balcony on her new black wings towards the Horizon Line. There was no flap of wings behind her and May figured that Norman had not sent any Undercover Angels after her.

As she approached the Horizon Line, she heard a roar and a loud hiss accompanied by occasional gun shots before she actually saw the scene through the walls of rain. Landing, she looked towards the intersection the Horizon Line made with another street. A large mass of painful growls and sharp teeth was thrashing there, feasting on something smaller than itself. May had a feeling, and knew that it was Drew. Apparently, sins had levels to them, as Drew was barely recognizable under his new, fiendish guise. In the storm's darkness, May could see that Drew's body had grown in proportion, as well as devil-like horns and saber-teeth. His ears had become pointed and his eyes were like a dragon's – completely one color in slits of green. Despite his powerful disposition, it came to May's attention that Drew was bleeding from the bases of his limbs and wings as blood streamed down his arms, as well as from fresh bullet-holes that still sizzled in his body.

May approached him cautiously – there was no telling if Drew was really inside himself anymore and that Wrath had completely taken the body for itself. Still, she moved forward.

"Drew…" she murmured. "Drew, please tell me you still exist."

The monster turned around from its meal. Catching sight of her feathered wings, it raised its wings in defense, hissing.

"Drew…it's me. You didn't stay long enough. I am alive!" May held out her arm, as if coaxing a frightened kitten out of hiding, or showing a powerful beast that she was not to be treated like an enemy. Drew let down his wings and approached her cautiously. May was almost glad her body was still blood-stained as Drew sniffed the air, and came closer as he caught a whiff of her blood. The vampire's recognition system…who knew it'd be this helpful? His eyes became less and less menacing, and very slowly did he shrink back into his former self. His emotions were no longer producing the rage Wrath desired, and it lifted from his spirit. Weak from his rampage, Drew said nothing, but May could feel the relief in his sigh as he buried his eyes into her shoulder.

"The Demon has been weakened! Fire!" cried a far off Undercover Angel.

Now it was May's turn to be angry. Whispering a short spell under her breath, her eyes glowed a vibrant blue. The gunshots were heard, but the bullets never reached their targets. Shrouded in a dark mist cast by May's spell, the fallen Angel and the Demon were concealed and made their getaway into an alleyway as the Angels continued to shoot into the black cloud.

Surprisingly, May found, Drew was able to stand and move, though tottering on his feet. She held him up as they looked for a hideout. It did not have to be fantastic, just something that could hold them until Drew's wounds healed somewhat.

Finding a dark, old garage, they slipped under the metal gate. Drew collapsed onto his back upon reaching the other side, almost gasping for breath as he absorbed the incredible pain emanating from the bases of his limbs and wings. "Damn…"

They were wet from the rain, their skin and clothes splotched with grains of dirt from the floor. May helped Drew up into a sitting position, and dragged him towards the wall for him to lean on. Drew tried to speak, his voice pained. "You wouldn't believe what this feels like…like fire, almost, but then not really."

May was beside him. Resting her hand on one of his shoulders, she could feel a deep gash had formed there and guessed that, the limb was severed almost completely. Blood was running down his arm and into a small, red pool in a steady stream. Getting in front of him, she unbuttoned his shirt and examined the wounds. They were bad, very bad. It seemed as though a machete had been there, very slowly sawing into the flesh. May placed her hands over the wounds, and whispering a silent, gentle spell, her hands began to glow with her own energy as she attempted to heal the wounds. There was no need for a doctor when one knew the extents of healing magic – it was probably one of the few things she was grateful to the Angels for.

Drew felt a sharp, cool pain rush into him as May practiced her magic on his injuries. He stayed still as best he could, even though the pain matched that of Sindarkka being thrust into his abdomen.

"I really thought you were dead…I really thought that bite hadn't worked," Drew said, practically in a whisper in her ear. The breath was soft and still full of sadness, but with a pinch of relief as he sighed in pain. May looked up into his face – up into his green eyes that still seemed to glow with his powerful life force. She pressed her forehead against his, more than happy to finally be with him again, even when the future was as hopeless and dark as the musty garage they had taken refuge in. Things were bleak, that was a certainty. Getting out of Metropolis alive was no easy feat; that was all they had proven to the world thus far.

"Why?"

"Because I was weak…when I went out to get blood, all I found was an easy vampire and two Angels who attempted to kill me. After that…another Demon appeared."

May's brow furrowed. "Another? But I thought…they were banished to Outskirt? How could they survive?"

"Somehow they did…and somehow they entered the city not too long ago. For what reason, they didn't tell me. I didn't stick around long enough to listen because somehow I knew you were in trouble."

When May released her grasp, only red scars were left. The bleeding was over and Drew felt the stinging sensation of the cuts had already begun to subside. She began the same process again onto his wings.

"We should find refuge with them…at least if we are attacked by Angels, we won't be alone." May's magic began to work faster, and soon she was done healing Drew's wings and began work on the bases of his legs, which were not cut as deep as his shoulders had been.

"That would be a good idea if they weren't planning on using me as a soldier in their plans to retake the Darkie area…or the whole city, I'm not really sure what's going on with them now."

"Still," May said as she finished healing. Drew was not one hundred percent better, but at least the cuts were no longer costing him precious blood. As he rubbed his sore shoulders, he contemplated on May's logic. If they could not talk to Angels, surely Demons would hear him out, if even for the price of working for them. But, then again, he was a rogue, it seemed. He could promise them one thing and fly away the next. As powerful as their leader seemed that night, Drew figured that, having lived in Metropolis in a more recent time, he knew the city better than that strange Demon and could easily trump it. That was all big, arrogant talk he kept to himself, though, as he jumped at the sound of a falling trash can.

The footsteps weren't Angelic, Drew could hear, even in the rain that came down in waterfalls outside. But everything and its mother in the city was looking for May and Drew's bounties. Putting his weakness behind him, Drew agitated his wings, pointing them up towards the ceiling. Whatever was coming in was not going to come out alive if he could help it.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Drew growled menacingly, even though it was apparent to him that if the threat were as big as he was, he would lose the fight. However, all fear was unnecessary. Drew lowered his wings upon seeing Jim's small figure come forth from the shadows. The gremlin was not surprised nor offended by Drew's snarls, as if he expected it, granted the situation in the city. His rigid, cracked skin, in all its puke-yellow color, was sleek from rain and he, like a dog, shook the majority of it off.

"Not gonna cause a problem, eh?" Jim challenged, knowing everything already, if not by intuition. "I suppose you know our deal?"

"This is not the time, Jim," Drew said, more relieved that a friend had appeared than angry he now owed the gremlin a hundred bodies.

"It's gettin' bad out there, and I'm not talking about the rain. Those Angels are furious their authority is being ignored by two teenagers, not to mention one of them is a Demonic mix. Any plan of action, Romeo and Juliet?" Jim was becoming annoying, as Drew expected, but the Demon knew Jim had his best intentions in mind, even if their relationship was strictly business.

"Not quite," Drew answered. "We were planning on taking refuge with the Demons. You know they're back, right?"

Jim shook his large, round head. "Actually, I was unaware, but that is a good plan. I'd go over there right now if I was you. There's no telling when those Angels will snap and finally fall to Wrath." Jim almost shivered at the thought. "Man, this is like dominoes…very dire dominoes."

Drew had never seen Jim so shaken. The gremlin usually kept a smooth composure, was always one step ahead as far as information about city-wide happenings went. And because he expected everything, he was never nervous about anything. He knew about it well ahead in advance and came up with a course of action-survival way before the event occurred. However, now Jim was swept aside in the tides and tribulations of Metropolitan folklore and governmental struggle.

"Last I checked, the coast was clear. Upon your departure, the Angels flew away. My guess is that either they're looking for you or are reporting to the High Priest of your escape. Either way, stop listening to me and get a move on!" May and Drew heeded his words, and in a flash of dark wings, they flew deeper into Darkie territory.

The rain had thickened, coming down like waves from dark, sky depths, almost like an ocean turned upside-down. The sky was a useful background, as May and Drew, with their black wings and attire, blended in perfectly against the clouds. Arriving at the Vampire tenements was easier than expected. Where Drew anticipated a meeting with angry vampires, there were none to be seen. Apparently, Drew suspected, they had all been eaten by the Demons.

Knocking on the door, Drew felt a small wave of safety. The Demons would protect him as one of their own, and May could easily pass as a new Demon, a newly Fallen Angel, which they would enjoy very much. The door opened to reveal Saori, the Demon Drew had met the other night. She was all but surprised to see him.

"Good to have you back, Drew. We were starting to think you betrayed us," she said with a smile.

"I went back for her," Drew told her, pointing to May. The Fallen Angel looked up, nervous about Saori's judgment. The female Demon paused, eyeing her with resentment, but amazement as well. "Is that an Angel?"

"A Fallen Angel. She's one of us," Drew argued.

Before Saori could retaliate, a smooth, deep voice cut in. "Leave them be. They are welcome here." Saori moved from the doorway to reveal another Demon. He wore what looked like a black, 18th - century suit. With long, blonde hair and a pair of large wings with three spikes on each bend, Drew recognized him as the Demon that he had met the other night before passing out. He seemed easygoing with a powerful spirit underneath.

"Yes, Lord Robert," Saori bowed her head in respect.

Robert, the apparent leader of the Demons, did not walk, it seemed, he just simply moved toward May and Drew with an elegant grace only a Dark citizen of power could perform. He outstretched his arm and said gently, "You may come in."

May and Drew stepped inside. The tenement was not barren concrete and plaster as it appeared on the outside. It was cozy and elegant in a Gothic way, with Victorian furniture and black lace consuming every cushion. Roses of white, black, and red decorated every vase that was placed on white doilies. A spiraling, iron staircase led to the second floor, on which Robert, with a gesture of his hand, asked that May and Drew follow him to the master's room, no doubt. The Angel and the Demon followed him as asked. There was no change between the first floor and the second – the Gothic theme ran throughout the building. Opening a door, Robert walked into a room perhaps just as big as the Balcony Room in the Angel Main House. Finished, wooden floors and more of that Victorian furniture made it a vampire's dwelling, as Drew knew it was for a fact. He guessed that the Vampiric King had been formally kicked out. It had to be kicked out, if Drew knew the Vampire King, for that Dark emperor was not so generous as to house the Demons in his own home.

"Make yourselves at home," Robert said in his soft, deep tone. The voice was so welcoming that Drew consciously made an effort to avoid forming a false sense of security. Drew watched him pour deep violet wine into three glasses in the kitchen, which was hidden away behind a wall, but was open to the rest of the room by a cut-out window in the plaster. He and May sat on the dark pink and black laced couch in the living area. A wooden coffee table was between them and a matching recliner made it complete.

"Drew…" Robert began. "It's been so long since I've seen you. Last time…you were a toddler, I think."

"I don't remember you, sorry to tell ya that," Drew answered, trying not to become too chummy. The older demon came from behind the kitchen wall and placed the wine tray on the coffee table. Taking a glass for himself, he sat in the recliner opposite them. Both May and Drew felt at ease, as the Demon made no gesture to harm them. Robert's wings were massive and exotic and both entities that sat across from him could not figure out his mix breed.

Noticing that they were staring, Robert chuckled, "It's Dragon blood, if you're having trouble." He moved the spikes that sat on the bends of his wings.

"Taking refuge here comes with a price, you know." The older Demon took a swift drink. "Mmm; grape."

Drew sighed. "Yes, I'm aware. However, I'd like to know what's going on. Why did you leave me, Kelly, and Harley here? What's your objective twenty years later?"

Robert paused, gathering his words, and then began. "We want to retake the city. Of course, in our great debacle those two decades ago, we were banished from the city. You know, if you've ever been to the library, all of it is documented by an unbiased source, but I'll tell you the Darkie side, if you want." Taking another drink, he folded one leg over the other and spoke casually. "First of all, we left you here for information's sake. Obviously, a lot can change within a city as large as this one, and in order to retake a city, one needs to know it. We had also hoped you have formed some kind of hate towards Angels after living under them for so long so you'd be on our side in the fight. As powerful as we are as crossbreeds, you have the greatest immortality. I don't think even you understand the strengths and weaknesses you possess. You can only be killed by your own hand or with Sunilluma. Just to let you know. That's very attractive to both forces."

May had sat quiet this whole time, but her mind was whirling. She never made eye contact with Robert either as he spoke. The Demon was so elegant. Never could she believe that the whole Angelic community would change that image. They were almost more beautiful than the Angels themselves.

Robert looked at May, admiring the Fallen Angel's wings. Smiling warmly, he said in a calm voice, "A Fallen Angel. A real one – I never thought I would see one. Were you born like that?"

"No," May answered, quietly. "I was changed by Drew. I used to be an Angel. I don't really feel different, but my clan has rejected me."

Robert chuckled – it was not at May, it was at the silliness he perceived in the Angels. "They do think they're something else don't they? They just want to be so different from us that they shun anyone away with black wings. Such racism!"

Both May and Drew looked up, surprised. "Racism?" They both inquired with crooks in their brows.

Robert raised his own brow, astonished of their naïve natures on the subject. "My…you have no idea, do you?"

…

Norman had more important things to take care of than chase after his newly, demonized daughter. There had been word of the Demon legion's return and he had to prepare for the worst, as he expected it. He would not let the likes of Demonic nomads ambush him.

He was back at his house now. Though he kept a stiff upper lip, he knew that his own clan would, sooner or later, lose their composure, and then the rest of the Lighties in the area would know the truth… He had to get to the church at some point, but he could not lift himself from the living room couch. His body felt weak, helpless and hopeless. The change in May sparked remorse in him. To Norman, May was dead and a Demon had taken possession of her body. He sat motionless and slouched forward; dark bags under his eyes reflected the inner turmoil he had boiling in his stomach.

Caroline walked into the room. Seeing her husband hunched over holding his head in a splitting headache upon the sofa, she walked up to him and leaned down. Her eyes met his. "Dear? I know there is a lot of stress on you right now," she began in her comforting voice that reminded him of what a home really was, even though he felt his own home was crumbling before him. "I saw May as clearly as you did, and though I'm not happy with this outcome…do you think that…maybe you could attempt to understand what she was trying to say?"

"And what was she saying, Caroline?" Norman challenged, lifting his head to look into her face. "Was she saying that a Demon had stolen her heart? I can't begin to accept that…not when she knew her responsibilities."

"That Demon…" she paused in thought. It saddened her to see that she and her husband were no longer on the same wavelength. "I would understand your position a little more if the Demon appeared to be hurting May. But he didn't. As far as I know, all he did was make her happy. But that's not what I want you to hear. I want you to hear how much you've blown it up into something it didn't have to be."

"What do you mean? I should have just let her go? How would I be able to cover it up? The clan would want to know where their princess is!"

"That is true, but you would have found a way. After all, you seemed to have had no problem making every one of the clan's children believe Demons were our complete opposites."

Norman paused on her words, and looked down. "That was for our betterment. The clan's own good. How could we ever associate ourselves with them? They may not look it, but they are exactly how I describe. Sniveling little, selfish, sinful things!"

"Are we not as sinful, dear? Have you not chased May and her love across the city for selfish reasons? For the good of the clan…or…for the good of your blood carrying on to the next generation of Preists?"

"I know, Caroline, what you're trying to say. And I admit…"

…

"There are no such things as 'Angels'," Robert told his two young guests. It seemed, in time, that Robert and Norman had spilled the truth at the same time. Words like that had not been spoken in centuries, but the truth still held true. "Angels are the biggest myth – they've been extinct since biblical times. Yes, dear, Fallen Angel, you're another race of Demon, never once an Angel except for maybe in your clan's deluded imaginations."

"I don't understand," May said, becoming intrigued with this information.

"Biologically, the Angels went extinct because they never bred. They were a religious people, a clan of sexless, bible-thumpers. Of course, all of us are descendents from those of that clan that broke away." Robert took another drink from his glass. The purple liquid was becoming low and he got up to fetch the bottle. He was not drinking for looks it was more to ease his nerves. Though the invasion of Metropolis was his idea and his work to organize, it was stressful. Obviously, another debacle was not on the agenda.

"Then why did that group split up? How come the Angelic Demons brainwashed themselves into believing they were really Angels?" Drew asked. The whole story was what he wanted, as anyone would. The conspiracies – they were too juicy to let go.

"Well, Lighties are perceived in a better light, no pun intended," Robert sat back down with his wine bottle, refilling his glass. "Our Angel-looking counterparts took matters into their own hands and selectively bred themselves to make the recessive white-winged gene the gene of choice. Over years, we, the true Demons, bred with vampires so much that our wings lost their feathers. But that's all genetic history. The Angelic-Demons like to look to the Bible and God as their support for their heavenly wings, but, even when you read the Bible, the only answer you get is that they are still Demons…but wearing genetic disguises."

Robert took another drink. He knew he was talking a lot, but it was well worth it. "Tell me, Fallen Angel, have you ever read the Bible at all? Do you know the fairy tales it tells?"

May jumped at his inquiry. "N-no," she stammered, feeling foolish for being an Angel without that book under her belt.

"There's a good reason for that," he assured. "As you might have heard from well-read Angels, Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, whatever you like to call him, is the guardian of Hell, as far as the story goes. But did you know, dear Fallen Angel, that the guardian of Hell used to be a true Angel? The only reason he fell to earth was because he went against God. Apparently someone wanted power and God didn't feel like sharing. Angels only exist in heaven and we know that doesn't exist!" He laughed and took another drink. "So, if you go by the Bible, we're all descendents of Satan. What a happy thought!"

May sat, digesting all of the information. The truth was finally revealed. Though she felt disgusted, she finally felt at peace and one with herself.

"No, matter how you look at it, we're all Demons," Robert finished May's thoughts for her.

"So, now what? How do you plan on taking the city back?" Drew asked.

Robert answered him quickly. "Not with friendly confrontation, that's for sure. We tried that twenty years ago and it didn't work. We're aware of the situation now in the city – as well as your situation - and it's only a matter of time before all of the Angelic-Demons are taken by Wrath. And then Underworld will appear…and then we're all doomed..." Robert's voice was fearful of his last statement, but he came together shortly after and fiercely looked into Drew's eyes with a stare of authority. "That's why we need you, Drew. You can help us wipe them out quickly so that that won't happen. They say Underworld is held down by a spell that will only be broken with the promise of love spawned from hate. You two are breaking that spell and so you should feel some responsibility for all of this"

Drew thought about this. It was true he'd like to take advantage of the situation and take out more Angels that had suppressed him all this time, as well as follow Robert's logical conclusion. But, on the other hand, Sunilluma was still on their side of the Horizon Line and he feared and knew it was the one thing that could do him in. And then, what of May? Their objective was to be together through all of this, and Drew was going to keep it that way. They had been through too much to let that change. Besides, the outcome of the city…it didn't concern him in the least.

"I'll think about it. You make a good point and helping out my clan would be awesome," Drew said strategically. Robert took the bait, and why shouldn't he? Robert did not know Drew was so good at spewing lies, even though Drew's life up until that point had counted on it.

Robert nodded, pleased, trusting but still wary. "I'll expect an answer in the morning. Rest here for now. We strike tomorrow."

The older Demon then got up from his seat, taking the wine with him into the Master's chamber, leaving May and Drew on the couch. May turned to Drew worried.

"What did he mean the Angels would turn to Wrath? What's Underworld? What's-"

Drew cut her off with a kiss and held her face close to his. Keeping his voice down, he murmured. "May remember when you told me how when you were younger a Lustful Angel tried to rape you? Doesn't what Robert said make sense now? All Angels are really Demons…and they're all really pissed off at us right now. Before we even came here I figured that would happen. The angrier Demons get, the easier it is for Wrath to take over. Believe me, I know."

May nodded. Drew's words gave her hope somehow, and made the final pieces of the mysteries in Metropolis click together.

"And I don't know what Underworld is…but if it can scare the Demonic clan leader, I'm guessing it's pretty terrible." Drew added. "We leave early tomorrow morning. I don't know Robert well enough to give an exact time, but when I say get up, you better spring up, or I swear he will kill us."

"Where will we go though?" May asked. It was an honest question, and her voice was full of worry and helplessness. Drew thought on it, dwelling on the fact that if what Robert said was true, there was no safe place to hide. Two legions would be chasing them after the next sun rose, if it ever rose.

He answered. "Where ever we can."


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The next morning did not give way to sunshine. Instead, the world outside was an abnormal gloom of deep violet and gray. The city was worn, lost in time and space. It was its own world, one that punished all that lived within it. Drew awoke to the uneasiness he felt in the pit of his stomach. The rustling in Robert's chamber was displeasing. Shaking May awake, Drew quickly picked her up. The dark Angel stood groggily on her feet, and, as promised, followed him out through Robert's balcony doors back into the city.

"Where do we go now?" May asked between a yawn.

"Have any ideas?" Drew asked, completely out of thoughts himself.

"I don't think the warehouse is a good idea," May started, her tired mind already working. "But perhaps we can hide in my house. With all of this going on, I highly doubt my parents would be home. They have to be at the Angel Main House or the church trying to prepare for the worst."

Drew was uneasy about that location. Even if the chance was slight, Norman could be residing in his house. It was worth a shot though. The warehouses were completely out of the question and nothing in Darkie territory would be safe after Robert found out they had skipped out on him and made him look like a fool. As Drew changed course towards the High Priest's private estate, he figured that should May's parents not be there, it'd be the last place anyone would look for them.

Landing on May's balcony to her room, Drew observed that the house had an empty feel to it, as well as the oddly dark and threatening sense he perceived from the white walls of that home. He knew what it meant now too, when the iron fence he believed mocked him months prior. It was not mockery, but simply a warning that Demons resided in the house, not that one was leaving. May opened her doors to her room. They were unlocked, fortunately and May confidently stepped inside. Not a sound could be heard, and a sense of security washed over both Demons as they relaxed for the first time in a long while. Drew plopped down on May's soft pink comforter and did his best not to fall asleep, failing. Meanwhile, May went through her wardrobe, and changed. Up until this point she had been naked underneath Drew's overcoat. Once again she was dressed in her tight, white blouse with the blue collar and skirt. Looking in the mirror, she saw her new image. Her new black wings and old clothes were almost unable to blend in her mind. They were from two different worlds.

It was then footsteps could be heard from down the hall. They were not heavy steps, though, and Drew did not even awake from his much-needed nap.

"May?" came Max's voice from the corridor. May turned her head quickly, seeing her younger brother appearing in the doorway to her room. "Kinda dumb to come here, huh?"

"Why? Are mother and father here?"

"No, they went to the church, I think."

"Then it's fine." May went back to looking at herself in the mirror.

"You're a Demon now, May. Get out of the house, or I'll be forced to kill both of you!" Max was stern in his statement, attempting to gain authority. This kind of behavior was alien to May and Drew's ears. After hearing Robert's account on Metropolis' citizens, it was hard to not laugh at a still-brainwashed individual. Nevertheless, Drew stood up, irritated that his nap had been disturbed by such an individual.

"Max, we've always been Demons – haven't you realized that?" May tried to sympathize with her brother, but Max only pulled out the kitchen knife he had been hiding behind him. May stepped back.

"This is all your fault!" Max pointed his dagger towards Drew. "You're a no-good Demon! A being from Hell!"

"Max, cut it out!"

"If it wasn't for you, my sister and mother would still be around!"

"Max!" May shouted, becoming upset he no longer recognized her. But instead of protesting, she caught Max's mention of their mother, and asked, "What about Mom?"

Max's voice became low and pained. He seemed to be pushing back tears as he explained. "She was trying to protect you. Dad was getting really mad – I'd never seen him like that before…"

"And so he killed her?" Drew butt in to the conversation. He was very nonchalant in his words, more so than he intended and it struck a chord in the younger white-winged Demon whom grit his teeth at the comment. Drew ignored this and went on. "I suppose he was trying to prevent Wrath from seeping through."

May turned her attention towards Drew, a question in her expression. Drew explained further. "Sometimes when a Demon knows it's going to become engulfed in Wrath, they let off a bit of steam to rid themselves of some anger, and so, prevents Wrath from taking over."

May looked back at her brother. Max was upset and defeated. He stood there like a statue looking down at the ground. Like May had been once, Max was unable to grasp the concept of being deceived so deeply.

"May," her little brother started, desperation apparent in his voice. "It is true that you started this war. Both of you. And so, it is your responsibility to stop it."

"That means we should head to the church," Drew added. "C'mon." He grabbed May's arm, but she pulled back to look at her brother one last time. She spoke to him. "Max, hide. And please, don't ever become Wrathful. Don't blame the Demons for what's going on…do not blame the Angels. Okay?"

She waited for his answer, but he did not speak and so she spoke again, this time earnestly. "Promise me! Drew and I will fix this, just promise me that!"

"I will! I promise! Just go!" the boy cried and with that, May found solace and certainty that she had saved the last of her family.

From May's balcony, the two Demons were off again, this time toward the church in all of its black windows and mangled iron exterior. The giant clock situated at its front was pointed within the hour of the first eleven. The streets below were dark, as were the buildings that lined them. It seemed life had ceased to exist in the city as all Lighties and Darkies had taken shelter for what they were sure would ensue.

"What is that?" May asked as they landed in front of the church. She was pointing in the direction of the Horizon Line, towards a purple and orchid light that shone up from the depths of the city, it seemed.

"I have no idea," Drew admitted. "Let's just get inside." Upon entering, all the way to the stage, they saw Norman bent over the organ, breathing heavily. Besides his dangerous figure, there was no one else. The pews on either side of the aisle were vacant, yet they seemed to seat ghosts. Drew closed the door behind May, and they walked side by side down the aisle towards Norman. Fearful butterflies flew into May's chest. For the first time in her life, she was sincerely afraid of her father and what he was capable of. However, it was not what he could do, because surely Drew would protect her until the end. It was what he would say. What ill news could he share with them that would end this story in tragedy?

Norman turned around suddenly, breathing heavily still. Both Demons could see that he was suffering, trying his best to repress Wrath for as long as he could.

"Don't say a thing to him," May warned Drew. "Please let me to do the talking."

Drew agreed. Upon reaching the stage Drew sat on the first pew, and did his best to ignore Norman's existence. May, on the other hand, stepped up to her father, and addressed him in a meek tone. "Father, I have sinned, but I only regret it in that it has caused this, the betrayal of my clan and the death of my mother."

Norman hissed. "I can see through your lies!" A Demonic, devilish voice escaped his voice box, as if he were becoming possessed. "You are not sorry for anything you have done!"

"It appears neither are you. I came here to find if there is anything I can do to stop all of this." May was desperate for his knowledge. There had to be something she could do – she had promised Max she would, after all.

"There are too many in Wrath…" Norman murmured. "Underworld…Wrath…will appear soon. So soon."

May grimaced.

"What has caused all of this?" Norman seemed to get a hold of himself, and continued his lecture. "Hm, Demon?" He was addressing Drew, but the Demon only kept his eyes away from Norman, ignoring him as promised. But Norman wanted a fight, a reason to inflict pain on the Demon himself. "Hm, Demon? You have done the unlawful. You've forced an Angel to sin! It's blasphemy!"

"Father, he's done nothing!" May protested. "The only thing that has caused all of this was your involvement in it."

"So I shouldn't be involved in my daughter's life?" Norman inquired. "Underworld is a creature of hate. It feeds on the body's hatred, sucking it out of them until the body falls apart. We locked it away all those years ago under a spell. Who knew it'd be broken so soon?"

Neither May nor Drew interrupted him. His words were intriguing – how nicely they fit with what Robert's lesson had revealed.

"A love spawned from hate…a love between an Angel and a Demon. Who would have thought that would happen? Especially when the Demons were supposed to be banished!"

"Father…please…just tell us what we can do before you are subjected to Wrath."

Norman stood on the stage, his dark eyes staring at May, into her eyes…into her soul. Outside, the storm above growled, as if something large was looming over the city. There were also smaller shouts and struggling just outside the church walls.

"My legion," Norman heard the voices too.

"Father! Please! Before it's too late to save them!"

"Underworld is a creature that is only emerging because its spell is broken…but, of course, it can be fixed," Norman decided to cooperate. His clan outside was dying, already consumed in their own Wrath, their lives being absorbed from their bodies. As a leader, he still cared for them and so explained the process in order to fix the overwhelming problem. "In order to fix this, your love needs to stop. Then Underworld will go back into its slumber under the city."

He made it sound so simple. Like loving each other was something May and Drew could control. But it was not that simple. May felt in her heart that even of she never saw Drew again, she would long for him, and that just would not put Underworld away.

"Then…" May began with a resignation. Her eyes scanned the floor, not wanting to admit her own tragedy to her father, who would probably figure himself the victor with such an outcome as she was thinking. She did not continue.

"That is all I can suggest. Now be gone!" he lashed out with harangue. The Devilish voice returned to his throat. His eyes were turning a deep red and his movements were choppy. May backed up, frightened by the Demon before her. It continued to speak. "Be gone!"

He lunged at her. Like lightning, Drew got up from his lazy seat and protected May. Shielding her with a giant wing, Norman only bounced off the surface as Drew gave him a small shove in the opposite direction. Norman fell backwards, hitting the organ and causing it to bellow loud and low melodies. While Norman covered his ears, May and Drew made a run for it and escaped from the church, crashing through the doors out and slamming them shut. Norman could be heard flailing inside and unable to control himself. Drew sighed. Once the High Priest went berserk, there was no telling how many other Angels had already fallen under Underworld's control.

"Drew…" May murmured. Her voice was fluttering and fearful, causing Drew to turn to her instantly. "Look." She directed his eyesight with an arm outstretched toward the Horizon Line where, before entering the church, they had seen the bright violet light. Drew's eyes turned wide. Among the city skyline he saw it, in all of its majesty. It was a dragon, and a beautiful one at that. Black scales covered its body like large plates and its face was long and pointed, almost like a bird's beak. Four legs held up its gigantic girth, and two, large wings similar to Drew's wings extended from its upper back. Its underbelly scales were the same ominous violet the two Demons had seen not too long ago.

Without a word, both May and Drew knew the dragon was Wrath, the Underworld dragon, the entity that fueled and fed on hate until the body decomposed spontaneously. The spirit roared, letting the world know it was back with a vengeance. From the midst of the city, May and Drew saw smaller beings arise from Underworld's feet. With closer inspection, one could realize they were Wrathful Demons and supposed Angels.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The storm still raged outside. It was raining now, and a fight between wrathful demons of both races ensued outside like a never-ending war. They were sure to kill each other until the last one fell. Then Demons would be extinct. In time, it's uncertain if this was what Underworld wanted…or perhaps the dragon enjoyed the taste of hate too much to care.

May and Drew safely made it to the harbor's shipping warehouse. The tall concrete walls were barren and the seawater inside was calm. There was a figure sitting on one of the piers, hanging his feet over the edge. Next to him sat a Pikachu, equally oblivious to May and Drew's presence. May instantly knew it was Ash, and ran to him, overjoyed to see a friend.

"Ash!" she called. He turned around. His face was still calm, happy to see her. His eyes did not match the vibrant red hue present in other Demons' eyes. Pikachu turned around as well, glad to see its Angelic friend was in one piece.

"Is that you, May?" Ash asked in astonishment. It had been some time since he had seen her and her status was grave as far as he had been informed. "We were told you had been successfully exiled." Ash, an ordinary student, had not been at the Angelic Main House at the time of May's rebirth and comeback, and so, her absence had been thought to reside in Outskirt or some other far-off place.

It was then Misty jumped up from the water and hung onto the pier for a better look at her friend. It had been even longer since Misty had seen May, and the mermaid rejoiced with Ash at her safe return. "May! I'm so glad you're all right! Ash's told me everything that's happened."

"Yeah," May lingered. "So much stuff has gone wrong…but Drew and I are planning on fixing all of this as soon as we're able to."

Besides the five of them, there was not another soul in the shipping yard. May questioned this. "Misty…where's the rest of your pod?"

"It was getting really dangerous…" Misty began, saddened that she was now a lone mermaid. "They left when an Undercover Angel came here and asked us if we knew anything about your whereabouts. It was then we all sensed a wave of danger and they left."

"They left you behind?"

"No…I stayed behind because…I was worried for you, Ash, and Brock."

May nodded. Misty was a true friend. For mermaids, May knew it was difficult for them to survive without others of their kind. They were social creatures, and yet, Misty stayed behind for her Angelic friends.

Drew and Ash exchanged glances as the girls caught up, almost embarrassed to face each other. Drew started, "I'm surprised that you weren't consumed with Wrath. After that fight we had, that is"

"I told you already," Ash answered him. "I don't want to be a part of the Angelic community anymore if this is what they're going to do."

Drew nodded. It seemed finally the two were on equal understanding and their differences were pushed aside. However, hardship was still upon them. He and May needed to reverse Wrath's curse and make the spell constrict Underworld once again.

"And who's this?" came Misty's voice crashing through Drew's thoughts. Not really in the mood for introductions, the vampiric-Demon put on his best grin and shook Misty's hand.

"I'm Drew."

"Misty," she said, happy to meet him.

And that was where the conversation ended for the mermaid and the Demon. May and Drew sat on the pier with Ash and Pikachu. Ash began another conversation, this one unlike the others – it actually pertained to the situation at hand. "So…what do we do now?" Simple just like Ash, and pleasantly punctual. Though thought on the subject of their next course of action was greatly needed, both May and Drew grimaced at the thought. Drew did not want to admit what he thought they should do.

"Before coming here we met up with my father," May began her answer. Drew could read it on her face – she was going to propose the idea that was already on his mind. "He said that Underworld…the huge dragon on the Horizon Line, had been suppressed by a spell many years ago."

"That's true," Ash added. May had almost forgotten that he had been the one the Elders chose to be their next High Priest. It only dawned on her now that Norman's teachings were probably all about this classified information. All of the intelligence about Underworld, how the spells that suppressed it worked, and the workings of different exiles were all in those after-school specials Ash had to endure those few months ago. Extensive brainwashing was also probably on the agenda and May now figured that that alone could have been the long term reason for Ash's first aggressiveness towards Drew, because May knew Ash. He was never one to make such a fast judgment about people. "I'm sure he told you about Underworld's spell's circumstances. It does not work like regular Wrath. I think that if the spell can be implemented again, Underworld will once again be suppressed and the Wrath phase will end."

"Don't beat around the bush," Drew spoke for May. He then spoke directly to Ash with a blazing, helpless gaze fitted into a stern face. "You must know the cause better than anyone here. It's us. May and I. The Angels and the Demons…they're both pissed off because they hate each other…"

"And we love each other…" May finished. She had accepted it. That was the only reason the Angelic-Demons were upset. May and Drew made the separation between Demonic races visible where the Angelic Demons had worked so hard to erase that fact.

Ash was quiet at May's interjection, unable to process it but accepting it all the same. It was water under the bridge. But how does one stop love? It was that very feeling that kept the doors of Underworld's spell open and let the dragon reign free and superior.

"We can't let the city fall because of us," May began again, slowly coming to her conclusions.

"It isn't your fault, though," Misty injected. "It's some baseless feud."

"Still," May answered. "There's no other way. In order to save everyone…to save the city…we…have to die."

Silence was a virtue. The Demons, the electric rodent, and the mermaid seemed to become suspended in animation after May's last word. Death. It was the only way May figured Underworld would become sealed up once again, as did Drew, who had come to the conclusion earlier. It was true – death was the only way to remove their romance from the scene.

"Die?" Misty was the only one shocked. "You couldn't just run away? There is land across the sea! You could-"

"We can't get there. We'd need to wait a few more weeks until we could and by then it'd be too late," May argued.

"Outskirt?"

"Misty," Ash leaned in toward the mermaid. "It has to be this way. Even if they could run away, what's going to close up Underworld? It'll be here until their relationship ceases." He looked into the mermaid's sad, blue eyes. "This is the way it has to be."

Misty stayed quiet after that. The realization that friends were disappearing before her was traumatizing.

"That still leaves us at your first question," Drew added, looking at Ash, addressing the white Demon securely as an ally. Ash returned the gaze, silently agreeing to help in any way he could. "Do you know where Sunilluma is?"

Ash thought of the dagger. He had actually never seen the dagger, and so he could only guess its whereabouts.

May kept quiet on this subject. A month or two ago, she had actually held it in her hands. Where it was now was her father's business, since she had picked up Sindarkka from his private sleeping quarters instead. Since the beginning of this turmoil, she would guess that he would move it to a more secure place. Ash finally answered, "I suppose it would be in the church."

"Terrific. Could it have been anymore dangerous?"

"Sorry…that's where it's got to be. I can't think of anywhere else."

Misty added her input once again. "Why do you need the dagger? Not to be morbid or anything…"

"Because if we just throw ourselves at the dragon, that would only satisfy it," Drew said. "Sure it would end the relationship, but that's how Wrath works. It's not just getting rid of Underworld…everyone's Wrath has to disappear and the one who causes Wrath has to reverse it." The explanation was difficult, but Drew knew this to be true. "I know it's all really complicated, but that's how things work."

"I'll get it for you then," Ash offered but Drew declined.

"If anything, I go with you. It's way too dangerous, and besides, I kind of have some responsibility…the least I could do is get the damn thing."

"Then it's settled; we'll go in the morning," Ash finalized the plan. There was no telling what treachery would befall Ash and Drew, but the plan worked out that their trip to the church would be greeted with Wrathful Demons and struggle.

…

Misty was uneasy about the whole ordeal. It was true she would stand by her friends' decisions, but, throughout the night, the idea of May's death could not escape the chasms of her mind. There was a deep depression welling up in her chest, and she could not stop thinking about the danger Ash would get himself into the next morning. Images about Ash's demise were prevalent, even though he was not planning a noble death.

"Misty? You okay?" Ash whispered. The warehouse was dark, but the light of the moon filtered in through the cracked ceiling and had placed a small spotlight on Misty's face. The Angelic-Demon hung his feet over the pier's edge.

"I will be," she answered. "Please…please, Ash, be careful out there tomorrow."

"Of course, but, why are you so worried?"

Misty opened her mouth, but her voice was not behind her one hundred percent. "Because…I" She could not do it. She could not confess. What was there to say? As Ash reassured her of his safe return, the mermaid figured it was better not to say anything. Her love for the Angel was just as taboo as May and Drew's relationship.

…

It was early the next morning and Ash and Drew departed for the church. The city was gray in despair, as was the sky that refused to clear, only letting pockets of dirty sunbeams through. As they flew deeper into Lightie territory, Drew observed the city in detail. Expecting to see chaos, he witnessed an eerie calm. It was the same kind of calm and uneasiness one feels when he is being watched.

Looking towards the Horizon Line, Drew could see Underworld had not moved from its spot.

"He's stuck," Ash confirmed. "He hasn't absorbed enough hatred to move properly."

"I would guess he needs a lot to move," Drew added. It was then Drew heard something and stopped mid-flight. A wave of fear swept through him, as well as the familiar feeling of dark energy. "Ash, we're surrounded."

Ash turned to his partner in fear. The Demon seemed to be floating in suspended animation, listening. It was then the Angelic-Demon turned to the buildings on either side of them. Wrathful Angels crawled out, their clothes blood stained, like cockroaches from every crevice. There eyes were bloodshot and their mouths were gnarled in angry, teeth-bearings. Some had sprouted the Demonic tail and whipped it around threateningly. They knew Ash and Drew were not Wrathful and lunged at them. Taking to the skies, Wrath's servants swiped at Ash and Drew, who flew away and dodged their continued attacks.

Drew held up well on his own. He was a dangerous adversary, even to the Wrathfuls as he swiped and killed by stabbing them with his knife-like wings. Many of them seemed more angry at Ash for not joining them, and seeing Drew was much too dangerous, become engrossed with attacking Ash. The Angel's wings were shorter than Drew's, but he seemed very fit for flight as he dodged and flitted between raging Wrathfuls. Drew went to help, chasing Wrathfuls pursuing Ash.

The progress was slow as they glided through the air. One Wrathful, unfortunately for Ash, was smart, and hooked around, appearing in front of Ash too late for the Angelic-Demon to shift his flight path. The Wrathful grabbed a hold of Ash. The Angelic-Demon struggled, twisting in the air and flying against buildings. It was no use though, all it did was cause the Wrathful to work faster. Unable to escape the Wrathful's clench, Ash felt it push its foot down onto his back, and tear his white, feathered wing from his body. The tearing sound of ripped flesh was coupled with streams of blood that ran up into the sky as Ash began to lose altitude. Ash yelled in pain. He spun violently in the air, and the Wrathful released him, content with its prize.

Drew fought off the other Wrathfuls too late to help Ash. Flying toward the Angelic-Demon like a bullet, Drew fought off the Wrathful, stabbing it with his wing.

Ash, unable to fly with one wing, fell to the ground. Drew turned his attention toward him and dove down, catching him in mid air before he fatally hit the cement. Unfortunately for Ash, his wound was already fatal. They had been so close to the church, too. Drew landed with Ash in his arms. The Angel was bleeding profusely, but refused to show weakness. With Drew's support, Ash stood on his feet, and insisted to go on inside the church. "Let's go."

Drew unlatched the door and opened it. He quickly moved inside, dragging Ash along with him to escape the Wrathfuls outside. Putting the Angelic-Demon down on the floor, Drew slammed the door shut, and slid a pew in front of it to stop the berserk Angels from coming in. Drew's next course of action was to help Ash in any way he could.

Taking off his overcoat, Drew knelt down towards Ash and began to tie it around the white Demon's body.

"You should keep it. This is a fatal wound," Ash insisted, becoming paler as he lost blood. Drew just shrugged at his comment.

"I can't just not do anything," the dark Demon said and tightly tied the sleeves.

Back behind the stage was the sound of snarling. Drew had almost forgotten he had locked Norman in the church, and now, it seemed, the High Priest had turned into the Devil. Long, curled horns, sharp teeth, and the demonic tail were all present as Norman made his entry. He hissed and his skin was colored an angry red hue. Drew could see the body was already deteriorating much more quickly than the Demons outside, as blood trickled from every orifice on his face and from every crease in his skin.

Drew waited for Norman's attack, which was not anticipated long. The white Demon lunged towards him, jumping up into the air preparing the strike from above. Having had enough, Drew crouched, arching his wings to make an artificial spike-pit. Norman fell right into it, giving Drew the upper-hand. With a fling of his wings, Drew threw Norman into the air, and the white Demon went flying in the other direction among the rows of pews. He landed on one, his neck hitting the back rest. A loud crack could be heard from the center aisle where Ash and Drew resided, and afterward, there were no more interruptions. Norman was finally dead, his neck broken from the fall and, as one might assume, his Pride.

Not wanting to waste any time, Drew stood up and said, "Glad that's over with."

He walked towards the stage and immediately began to rip through the desk there. However, all he found was paper.

"There's a box underneath one of the floorboards. It should be there with Sindarkka…Sunilluma might be there as well," Ash said as he winced in pain. With that, Drew abandoned the desk and went for the floor boards. They were nicely waxed together. Upon closer inspection, Drew found one was not waxed to the others and so he lifted it to find a black box as Ash had mentioned. Drew stood up and opened the case only to find Sindarkka there. The dagger was without its partner.

"It's not here," Drew murmured. "Ash, it's not here! Where else could Sunilluma be?"

Ash didn't answer though. From the stage, it seemed as if the white Demon were staring at the floor and ignoring him. Drew approached Ash cautiously. "Hey…Ash?"

The dark haired entity did not answer still and as Drew touched him, realized his spirit had dissipated. All that was left was his body, no longer capable of movement. Drew sighed. It was a terrible death to a Demon Drew knew would have become a friend. It was true, they had treated each other as enemies. Being brought together by a common tragedy had made Drew all the less adverse to "Angels". Unfortunately, now he was without a guide. The Angels were apparently good at hiding things, and now he was without a lead as to where Sunilluma could possibly be.

Drew made his way back much easier. The Wrathfuls avoided him as they fought with each other. Now the Demons had joined them, and many were Wrathful themselves.

Upon arrival, May and Misty could already sense the regret in Drew's stride. However, Misty spoke up. "Where's Ash?" Her voice was not hopeful – she had seen this coming, for what reason was uncertain. Drew just shook his head, unable to tell her straight. Misty nodded. "I guess, then…I should go."

"Misty…" May did not know what to say. Ash's death was hard on the Angelic-Demon, but she knew it would not be as hard as it was on Misty. The mermaid, full of grief, left them, sinking into the water and swimming away.

May turned towards Drew. She then looked down as she murmured, "I can't believe this is happening. I didn't want Ash to die!" She whimpered over the loss of a friend.

"To make matters worse, his death was in vain," Drew mentioned. "Sunilluma was no where to be found and now we don't have a clue."

May wiped away her tears and looked at Drew. The only person she had left to save was her little brother, Max, who had been left in the house to wait until Underworld's ordeal was over. May grit her teeth and said sternly, "No, there's one more place. The library. No one goes there…it's a perfect hiding spot."

Drew took that into consideration and nodded. It was their last chance to save the city. With that silent agreement, they took flight once more into the gray sky toward the library.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The library is a tall, stone building, much like the church and just as ominous. A large plateau of steps make up its stoop and decorated glass filled its windows.

The area surrounding the edifice was barren of life. All fighting between white and black Demons had shifted elsewhere in the city. May and Drew landed in front and stepped inside as quickly as they could. The iron doors were heavy, and their scraping up against the marble floors inside echoed across the stone walls.

May and Drew took in the majesty of the library's interior. It was almost like a palace filled with bookshelves upon cupboards of books and scrolls and documents. Everything was neat and orderly, though. Not a book was left on the dark, tiles; not one chair strayed too far from its desk. Dust was rampant, though, and colored the dark, cherry wood furniture and shelves with a thin coating of fluffy white mist. There was also a second story that ringed around the sections and could be observed through elegant arches. Spiral staircases lead May and Drew to that floor. But where was one to begin looking for a dagger in such a place?

"I know there are Angels and Demons killing each other outside, but it's really creepy in here," Drew said as he and May explored the many aisles of books.

There were no clues among the books. They all featured wonderful topics, though. "You know…I wish I would have come here sooner," May said as she began to get distracted by the titles.

"Same," Drew agreed. "But…we really need to be finding Sunilluma. Not that…I want to die.

"Scared?" May teased. She stuck her tongue out at him, but he was not playful.

"Admittedly, yes. Aren't you?"

"I haven't thought about it. I just want to stop all this."

"But are you?"

May paused at his persistence. The question was weighted, though. Death had never been so close to her life before. But now, with the deaths of her mother and good friend, it had crept up on her too fast for its meaning to really take effect. Death. What was it exactly? What was it like? To be born, only backwards? To have the world go on without you? May had always been one to believe in the joys of an afterlife. She had been forced and brainwashed into believing that after death, good Angels go to heaven, but alas, she was not an Angel. She was a Demon. Would she go to hell now for that fact alone? Lies had once been her truths, so it was difficult for her answer her own questions. Maybe heaven really does exist, but then, why feel fear thinking about one's death? Why feel anguish thinking about another's death?

"I am afraid," May admitted. She gave Drew a cute smile, a hopeful expression that made him automatically smile back at her. "But…you're coming with me, so, it's not all that scary anymore." Drew snickered, taking on her happy thought.

Coming to the end of the aisle, they found a pair of doors. Tall and gray, their elegant points reached to the ceiling. Drew looked at May. "A secret room? Could be promising."

"There's nothing to lose," May said, and helped Drew push the doors open, which seemed stuck in place for a good five minutes. Busting through the opening, May and Drew found a completely new room. It was circular and stone, like a grand dome. The walls were indented all around with cupboards, each containing a few scrolls. In the center was a pedestal that held up a small box, as well as a few documents itself.

"Secret rooms hold lots of secrets," Drew said playfully. "Care to know Metropolis' secrets before we, uh, pass on?"

May nodded. They approached the pedestal, and through the box's glass they could see Sunilluma, tucked away on a white, cloth napkin. The dagger was almost identical to Sindarkka. It was a silver blade and its hilt was decorated with heavenly designs and pearl-like gems. Before opening the box, May and Drew picked up a scroll each from either side of Sunilluma and began to read their contents. The documents were records of the great battle two decades ago.

"So," May began as she finished. "This is the agreement between Demons. The black Demons were never banished – they agreed to leave. But why?"

"Underworld. The dragon feeds on our clans' hatred for one another," Drew enlightened her. "You know that. I suppose, like us, Robert just said screw it and agreed to go away to keep the city safe."

"But…they planned all along to make a come back," May said. "Wouldn't that endanger the city?"

"I don't have all the answers," Drew answered and looked at his document. "My scroll says the city had been split equally by the Horizon Line. For a long time, the city was actually two cities, but the Angels got prideful and invaded the Darkie side. Everyone became Wrathful and Underworld showed up. This is like a giant deja vu."

"True," May agreed. "Then Underworld was sealed away by that spell…and we broke it."

"You can't say it's entirely our fault." Drew argued, but it was no use. Deep down, he knew that without them, Underworld would have never appeared. However, his statement was not completely false. "Ya know, even if we would have never met, the Demons were coming back…and everyone would in Wrath, anyway. We don't know. Maybe it's better this way. At least we can stop it. If Underworld goes away, things will calm down."

May nodded. There was no use changing the past. She put her scroll down where she found it, as did Drew, who also opened up Sunilluma's box. The dagger seemed to glow, and it was uncomfortable for Drew to handle. Unlike Sindarkka, this dagger seemed to drain his strength. Ignorant to its power, Drew fell to the ground dizzy. May knelt down in shock. "Drew! Are you okay?"

Drew nodded. "Yeah…come here." Putting the dagger down, he gently grabbed May and sat her down between his legs. She leaned on him, her back against his chest and her head below his chin.

The room was dark save for the streams of light that filtered in from the glass windows to high above. As May sat so close to her love, she felt no fear, as if she were had already made it to heaven. Perhaps, she thought minutes before her end, that heaven was only a state of mind...that it could be obtained in life, not death after a life of rigid solitude and procedures. After all, May thought, her religion was only embellished with stories of God and his creation. The main points she had always followed were what was really important. Love thy neighbor...treat others the way one would like to be treated...share; they were all ideals her clan had lost in their pride and greed.

Outside, a storm of hatred and agony snarled. May could not take it. There was no where else to go in this life. No other outlet. She snuggled against Drew's tangible body for the last time.

In order to save everyone…

Drew leaned up against the pedestal and picked up Sunilluma, the dagger almost excited that it would slay two Demons. He was not quite sure how to go about this, but a fast death was his aim. There was no need to struggle. He hoped, with every fiber of his being, that their deaths, unlike Ash's, would not be in vain, and that this plan would work.

"Close yours eyes," Drew told May. There was also no use to be afraid. She did as she was told and allowed her lids to close and her head to fall back onto his shoulder. She trusted him and snuggled her nose against his cheek.

In order to save the city…

With that to be his last memory of existence, he plunged the innocent dagger through his Angelic mate and into himself, piercing the skin as if it were air, binding them together. May gasped, but was gone in an instant. Her wings drooped, limp, and her spirit faded. Drew felt himself fading away as well. He too had been stabbed and the incredible amount of energy swept through his body like a hot tidal wave. He closed his eyes and joined May.

We have to die.


	21. Epilogue

Chapter 20 - Epilogue

The city of Metropolis. A desolate place torn by the hatred of two Demonic clans...

In time the city would repair itself, but in the minutes after May and Drew's deaths, the spell became activated again. Bright, violet lights spewed from the center of the city once again and sucked Underworld back underground. The dragon tried to escape, and its roars could be heard across the city, echoing off of window panes. But that was all in vain. The lights seemed to grab it and pull it back from whence it came. Its reign over the city was over, for the time being. Amongst the city streets, Demons awakened from their terrible slumber of destruction and rage, only to become enraged again at the other clan's existence. However, the tables were turned.

Robert observed the scene with an air of victory in his sigh. The white Demons' legion had been completely emaciated from their prolonged rampage while the black Demons had strived to keep their composure. It was true some Demons had become Wrathful, but overall, they had learned from their mistakes two decades ago. The plan, Robert reviewed quietly to himself with a smile, was to come back to the city only to provoke the Wrath in the enemy. The effect was sprawled out in front of him as Angels knelt down in defeat of the Demons. Of course, he could not take all of the credit. Even though Drew had not fought for him in the way he had planned, he had still served by breaking Underworld's spell long enough to kill off the Angelic force and so, Robert thanked him from the bottom of his heart.

Jim looked up at Robert, happy to see the Demon once again. The gremlin knew the city would finally be at peace once again and would stay like that. It had been a long time, but in the midst of destruction, the city was pulling itself back together. Jim was not worried anymore. The Demonic Council, which he remembered from many years ago, would govern the city the way they used to govern the Darkie side of town. The vampires' numbers would probably decline now with their top predator back from their absence, and the wealth would reach his own, bony hands. But those fantasies would take a long time. Surely the first thing on the agenda was reconstruction, to rebuild the areas of the city Underworld had destroyed.

The gremlin walked along the sidewalk. He looked up at the sky which was finally clearing. It was not wonderful spring time, but the dark, thundering clouds were taking their leave and the city became brighter.

Jim stopped and watched as a few Demons, from both clans, walked together without malice. Did they realize their mistakes? Or perhaps, their brotherhood could finally be realized after such a long time of brainwashing. Jim was unsure, but it was good to see the fighting had stopped.

Of course, not everything was happy and sunshine. Sure there was destruction and buildings had collapsed, but the loss of life was staggering. Dead bodies, blood, and pieces of bodies were strewn all over the roads. Wrath was a powerful thing, Jim observed. He also observed that Drew's promise had been kept. Of course, that had been an empty exaggeration. Then again, Drew had always kept his promises.


End file.
